News about Haydn Gwynne

EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Queen Camilla 's son Tom Parker Bowles confesses to 'loving' Harry Enfield's portrayal of King Charles in the spoof Channel 4 series The Windsors - in which Pippa Middleton 'seduces' Prince Harry. But Tom, promoting his new royal cookery book, hotly disputes the late Haydn Gwynne's portrayal of his mother as a gin-swigging chainsmoker. 'It's inaccurate. She never drunk a glass of gin in her life. Doesn't smoke,' he says, adding: 'Sadly, the woman who played my mum died. She was really brilliant. But my mother hardly drinks. Never seen her so much as tipsy.'

Olivier Awards viewers branded ITV 'shameful' on Sunday night after the broadcaster failed to show in full the moment Haydn Gwynne was announced as Best Supporting Actress.  Gwynne - who died in October aged 66 following a secret cancer battle - was granted the posthumous honour for her performance as Stanley Baldwin in When Winston Went to War. The award was accepted on her behalf by son Orlando, who said it had been a 'dream' of his late mother's to win an OIivier. 

A positively deranged black comedy, behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing over Prince Andrew's bombshell interview and a beautifully appointed British historical drama... there's so much for avid royal watchers to stream right now. We've selected the 20 best royal dramas to watch On Demand - sifting through thousands of options to save you having to lift a regal finger. Looking for a new series or film to stream? Read on to find out the shows worth investing your time in...

She was the ultimate insider, one of the late Queen's closest family acquaintances, and so close to King Charles that he proposed her godmother to Prince William. So when Lady Susan Hussey was engulfed in a bigotry controversy that compelled her to resign, it sent shock waves throughout the royal family. After charity activist Ngozi Fulani accused her of racially insulting her at a Buckingham Palace reception, Lady Susan, 84, declared her resignation from royal service on December 1, 2022. The aristocrat, one of Queen Camilla's closest aides, had a tumultuous conversation with Ms Fulani, the British-born director of the east London charity Sistah Space, asking where she came from.'

In a preview of Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends in May 2022, the actress, who died aged 66 after a recent cancer diagnosis, appears in the clip. The performance was postponed several days last month after the actress of stage and screen, who received Olivier and Tony awards for her role in Billy Elliot The Musical, dropped out due to 'personal circumstances.'

Dame Helen Mirren expressed delight and a 'consummate dedicated actress' in a tribute to Gwynne today. The Tony and Olivier Award-nominated actor's portrayal of the Queen Consort is said to have enthrayed a number of senior monarchs, with some of them at the Palace referring to The Windsors as something like a cult program. Her representatives reported today that they were 'deeply sad' to learn of her death. They said she died in the early hours this morning, surrounded by her close family and friends.

Haydn Gwynne, an actress best known for her appearances in Drop The Dead Donkey and The Windsors, has died at the age of 66. Billy Elliot's dance instructor worked in both the West End and on Broadway, and was nominated for a Tony Award. In The Audience, Gwynne also played Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Last month, Gwynne was scheduled to return to the West End, but she was informed of her cancer diagnosis.

The former lady-in-waiting was once referred to as Her late Majesty's "head girl" at the Berkshire race course (right, chatting to King Charles) six months after she was accused of bigotry by domestic violence activist Ngozi Fulani. Ms Fulani, who runs the Sistah Space charity in Hackney, claimed Lady Susan had asked her: 'What part of Africa are you from?' Lady Susan released a 'profound apology' for her remarks and resigned from her position at Buckingham Palace following the controversy. The former lady-in-waiting attended King Charles' Coronation at Westminster Abbey (left), indicating that she had returned to the royal fold six months after the row began.

According to reports, the new musical based on The Great British Bake Off had to be rewritten after Paul Hollywood was left angry by footage depicting his character flirting with a contestant. According to The Mirror, the TV judge, 57, refused to support the production unless the changes were made. The show's currently playing in London's West star's John Owen-Jones portraying Phil Hollinghurst as a fictional version of Prue Leith's Pam Lee.

PATRICK MARMION: The Great British Bake Off Musical (Noel Coward Theatre, London) Verdict: Half-baked sugar rush Bake Off or Master Chef?Sweet or savoury? We're certainly Master Chefs in my household. Not because we're such good cooks, but because our contestants are not supposed to be so unhappy. By comparison, Bake Off is a sugar-based feelgood candy, but this half-baked dramatic spin off proves lethically saccharine and culpably inane.

The Windsors is back for a coronation special ahead of King Charles' big day on May 6 in Channel 4 comedy The Windsors are back for a coronation special. Camilla, the evil step mother, is a soap-opera hybrid who brings the famous family back to life. The Monarch wants an epic accession to the throne, but only for Prince William (Hugh Skinner) to shave proceedings in an attempt to reflect the cost of living crisis.

Lady Susan, who was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II for decades and then retained by King Charles III following his mother's death, is not the only controversial member of her family to make news. The widow of Marmaduke Hussey (pictured above, right), former BBC chairman who died in 2006, is the 83-year-old. He chaired the board of governors for ten years, but was embroiled in controversy when Panorama aired Martin Bashir's tumultuous interview with Princess Diana (pictured top inset). He notably fell out with BBC director-general John Birt over the information, which was later ordered to be condemned by BBC governors who later asked them to condemn the interview and Birt's conduct and threaten to compel his resignation. Lord Hussey and his wife Lady Susan were recently featured in The Crown (pictured below), which portrayed both Lord Hussey and his wife Lady Susan as well as Haydn Gwynne.