Dame Barbara Windsor’s funeral set to take place at the end of this week with a private service for limited mourners
The funeral of beloved actress Dame Barbara Windsor will take place on Friday, according to reports.
The star, known for her work in the Carry On films and EastEnders, died in December at the age of 83.
She will be cremated at a private ceremony at Golders Green Crematorium in London during the afternoon with a limited number of mourners in line with the COVID-19 restrictions currently in place.
Final farewell: The funeral of beloved actress Dame Barbara Windsor will take place on Friday, according to reports [pictured in 2010]
It is expected that only 30 people will be able to attend.
Dame Barbara had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2014. She is survived by her husband Scott Mitchell – with the pair being widely praised for their work raising awareness of dementia after the actress went public with her diagnosis in 2018.
A JustGiving page set up as a tribute to her and in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK has raised nearly £140,000.
It was reported in December that Dame Barbara’s memorial would allow ‘everyone to celebrate her life together’, despite the current restrictions.
Sorely missed: The star, known for her work in the Carry On films and EastEnders, died in December at the age of 83 [pictured in 1963]
Memorial: She will be cremated at a private ceremony at Golders Green Crematorium in London during the afternoon with a limited number of mourners in line with the COVID-19 restrictions currently in place [pictured in 2017]
Barbara played Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders for more than 20 years, and it is expected her former co-stars will help husband Scott with the memorial.
Actor Christopher Biggins is also expected to conduct a eulogy.
News of the memorial comes after it was revealed Dame Barbara will make posthumous appearances in three new Carry On films
Producers of the iconic franchise are planning to use a hologram of the star in upcoming movies.
Brian Baker, the boss of Carry On Films Ltd, told the Daily Star Sunday: ‘We have got two new stories and we are looking to do one of the old ones again to bring it up to modern day quality – probably Carry On Sergeant.
Carrying on: Barbara is set to make posthumous appearances in three new Carry On films as a hologram [Pictured in 2014]
Dearly missed: Her husband Scott Mitchell, 57, described Barbara’s final weeks as ‘typical of how she lived her life’ and ‘full of humour, drama and a fighting spirit until the end’
‘Barbara will be making an appearance. It will be a tilt of the head to say, “Well done”. That’s the best way to do it.
‘We are looking at using a hologram from old footage to put her in a situation like a queue for the Royal Albert Hall or serving in a shop.
‘People loved her because she was down to earth. She saw the funny side. She didn’t take offence. She had the old fashioned British seaside humour.’
Other late stars of the franchise, like Sid James and Kenneth Williams, are also set to feature in the films.
Devoted: Scott set up a JustGiving page to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK
Starring role: The beloved actress is pictured in the 1972 Carry On film Carry on Abroad
Brian said: ‘We want to honour the legacy of producer Peter Rogers. He is the unsung hero of the ‘Carry On’ films.’
The late actress appeared in a host of Carry On movies between 1964 and 1974, including Carry On Spying, Carry On Doctor and Carry On Camping.
And the new films are set to be released on a streaming platform in 2022, with Brian saying: ‘We’re talking to a new ensemble of characters. We want new idiosyncrasies and personalities. We’re not going to copy what’s gone before.’
Husband Scott described Barbara’s final weeks as ‘typical of how she lived her life’ and ‘full of humour, drama and a fighting spirit until the end’.
Icon: Dame Barbara as Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders, 1994
In true icon style, Barbara’s final TV role was starring in her own biopic, which chronicled her humble beginnings in Shoreditch up to 1993, with Jaime Winstone and Samantha Spiro playing the star at different points in her life.
The BBC film – Babs – was written by EastEnders scriptwriter Tony Jordan and broadcast on May 7, 2017, to coincide with her 80th birthday.
At the time, the actress said: ‘Tony knows the real me and what makes me tick and I was particularly taken by the way he wants to tell my tale which is not in the way people will expect it to be. I am honoured and excited that Tony and the BBC have commissioned this.’
She first left in 2003 for two years due to a debilitating case of the Epstein-Barr virus, which put her out of action.
Peggy: She first left the soap in 2003 for two years due to a debilitating case of the Epstein-Barr virus, which put her out of action
Once she was back to full health, she returned in the middle of 2005 on a one-year contract yet her contract was extended.
In 2009, Dame Barbara announced she would be leaving the soap again in order to spend more time with her husband Scott, who she married in 2000.
‘It was not the ending that Barbara or anyone else living with this very cruel disease deserve,’ Scott said, following his wife’s death. ‘I will always be immensely proud of Barbara’s courage, dignity and generosity dealing with her own illness and still trying to help others by raising awareness for as long as she could.’
He added: ‘Dementia/Alzheimer’s remains the UKs number one killer. Although in challenging times, I urge the Prime Minister, his government and other parties to be true to their previous promises and invest more into dementia/Alzheimer’s research and care.
The old days: Barbara rose to fame as a buxom blonde in the Carry On Films
‘Thank you to all the doctors, nurses and carers who are angels at the care home for your kindness and care to Barbara and I throughout her stay with you. You are my heroes.
‘And my gratitude to our family, friends and everyone in the media and the general public for all the good wishes and warm support that has been shown to Barbara over the last few years during her illness. Barbara deeply appreciated that.
‘May you rest in peace now my precious Bar. I’ve lost my wife, my best friend and soul mate and my heart or life will never feel the same without you.
‘I will be making no further statements and now need the time to grieve this painful, personal loss.’
WHAT IS ALZHEIMER’S?
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, in which build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die.
This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink.
More than 5 million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the 6th leading cause of death, and more than 1 million Britons have it.
WHAT HAPPENS?
As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost.
That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason.
The progress of the disease is slow and gradual.
On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some may live for ten to 15 years.
EARLY SYMPTOMS:
- Loss of short-term memory
- Disorientation
- Behavioral changes
- Mood swings
- Difficulties dealing with money or making a phone call
LATER SYMPTOMS:
- Severe memory loss, forgetting close family members, familiar objects or places
- Becoming anxious and frustrated over inability to make sense of the world, leading to aggressive behavior
- Eventually lose ability to walk
- May have problems eating
- The majority will eventually need 24-hour care
Source: Alzheimer’s Association
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