Dame Helen Mirren has paid tribute to actress Haydn Gwynne following her death aged 66 after a recent cancer diagnosis.

The star of stage and screen, best known for starring in Drop The Dead Donkey and The Windsors, was due to return to the West End – but withdrew last month due to “personal circumstances”.

An agent confirmed Gwynne had died in hospital in the early hours of Friday “surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends”, adding: “We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton Hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks.”

In a statement to the PA news agency, Dame Helen described the actress as “a delight as a person and a consummate dedicated actress”.

The 78-year-old added: “I had the huge pleasure of sharing the stage with her, in the play The Audience where, much like the original characters (Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher) we danced a delicate dance together.

“She was both funny and serious at the same time, a brilliant balancing act that her whole career exemplified. We will miss her very much.”

Gwynne had long wanted to be an actress but spent her early adult life in Rome teaching English.

Although she was worried about how her parents might react, at the age of 25 she returned home to pursue her dream.

She made her name in 1990 when she starred as icy Alex Pates in the comedy Drop The Dead Donkey, which earned her a Bafta TV nomination in 1992.

Her role as Dr Joanna Graham in Peak Practice also propelled her to fame.

The actress also had a successful career on stage and received two Olivier Award nominations for her performance in West End productions of City Of Angels and Billy Elliot The Musical.

She reprised her role as Billy Elliot’s dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson in a Broadway version of the musical, and was Tony nominated for her performance.

She secured two further Olivier nominations for her roles in The Threepenny Opera and Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown.

The actress also took on the role of Thatcher for Peter Morgan’s play The Audience.

Later in her career, Gwynne featured in a number of other royal series including playing Queen Consort Camilla in royal satire sitcom The Windsors from 2016 and later portraying former royal aide Lady Susan Hussey, who resigned from the royal household following a racism row, in the fifth series of The Crown.

She had been due to appear in Cameron Mackintosh’s latest musical production, titled Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, at the Gielgud Theatre when the show opened in September but she had to withdraw beforehand due to “sudden personal circumstances”.

At the time, Mackintosh recalled that she had become an “integral part” of the “very close-knit company” after giving an “unforgettable” performance of the song Ladies Who Lunch during an Old Friends gala premiere in May 2022, adding: “Haydn will be very much missed.”