FILE - In this Sept. 2, 2019 file photo, British actress Barbra Windsor is kissed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in 10 Downing Street, London, Monday, Sept. 2, 2019, to promote Dementia Care. Windsor, whose seven-decade career ranged from cheeky film comedies to the soap opera 'EastEnders' has died at the age of 83 at a care home in London, husband Scott Mitchell said Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. (Simon Dawson/Pool via AP, pool, file)
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LONDON (AP) - British actress Barbara Windsor, whose seven-decade career ranged from cheeky film comedies to the soap opera 'œEastEnders,'ť has died, her husband said. She was 83.
Husband Scott Mitchell said Windsor died at a care home in London on Thursday from Alzheimer's disease. She had been diagnosed with the form of dementia in 2014.
'œMyself, her family and friends will remember Barbara with love, a smile and affection for the many years of her love, fun, friendship and brightness she brought to all our lives and the entertainment she gave to so many thousands of others during her career,'ť Mitchell said in a statement.
Windsor was born Barbara Ann Deeks in London's East End in 1937 and changed her name to Windsor for her first film, 'œThe Belles of St. Trinian's,'ť in 1954. The name was inspired by the House of Windsor, family of the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II.
She began her career on the stage - gaining a Tony Award nomination in 1965 when the anti-war musical 'œOh, What a Lovely War!'ť went to Broadway - before becoming a member of the ensemble cast of the 'œCarry On'ť films, a series of cheap and cheerful comedies specializing in slapstick and bawdy jokes. Windsor's bubbly manner and wicked laugh were an essential part of the 'œCarry On'ť formula, and she appeared in nine of the comedies between 1964 and 1974. The films, crude and dated in many ways, are still screened on television and fondly remembered by millions.
Windsor's second defining role came as Cockney matriarch Peggy Mitchell in 'œEastEnders'ť between 1994 and 2016. The character ran the Queen Vic pub, heart of the fictional London district of Walford. Mitchell was kind-hearted but fearsome, worrying over her wayward sons and brining rowdy customers into line by bellowing 'œGet out of my pub!'ť
Windsor was made a dame, the female equivalent of a knight, by the queen in 2016 for services to entertainment and for her work raising awareness about dementia.
The Alzheimer's Society said Windsor 'œwas an amazingly true, much-loved national treasure, and in speaking out about her experiences shone like a beacon for others affected by dementia.'ť
FILE - In this Sept. 2, 2019, file photo, British actress Barbra Windsor, center, meets British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, with her husband Scott Mitchell, left, in 10 Downing Street, London, to promote Dementia Care. Windsor, whose seven-decade career ranged from cheeky film comedies to the soap opera 'EastEnders' has died, her husband said. She was 83 and had dementia. (Simon Dawson/Pool via AP, File)
The Associated Press
FILE - In this Jan. 19, 1971, file photo, British actors Sid James and Barbara Windsor in a scene from the British comedy, "Carry On Henry," being filmed at Pinewood Studios, in Iver, England. Windsor, whose seven-decade career ranged from cheeky film comedies to the soap opera 'EastEnders' has died, her husband said. She was 83 and had dementia. (AP Photo/Staff/Dear, File)
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FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2004, file photo, Britain's Prince Charles shares a joke with actress Barbara Windsor, right, and Kelly Osbourne, center, as Kelly's mother Sharon Osbourne looks on, backstage during filming of the Royal Variety Performance at the London Coliseum, in central London. (AP Photo/Chris Young/Pool, File)
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FILE - In this Sept. 2, 2019, file photo, British actress Barbara Windsor waves at the media as she arrives with her husband Scott Mitchell, in Downing Street, London, to promote Dementia Care. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
The Associated Press
FILE - In this Dec. 10, 1963 file photo, dressed up as Father Christmases, British comedians Sid James, left, Hughie Green and Dickie Henderson, right, carry off British actress Barbara Windsor during the Variety Club of Great Britain Christmas Luncheon, at the savoy Hotel, in London. Windsor, whose seven-decade career ranged from cheeky film comedies to the soap opera 'EastEnders' has died at the age of 83 at a care home in London, husband Scott Mitchell said Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Staff/Bob Dear)
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