Wendy Richard: a career in pictures

Richard in her second TV appearance, in Harpers West One in 1962 Photograph: ITV / Rex Features/ITV/Rex Features

Richard with Sammy Davis Jnr a year earlier in her TV debut, in Sammy Meets the Girls Photograph: ITV / Rex Features/ITV/Rex Features

Richard plays a minor role in The Wedding Dress for ITV Television Playhouse in 1963 Photograph: ITV / Rex Features/ITV/Rex Features

Richard in Weavers Green, launched in 1966, which was based around a fictional vets' practice in an East Anglian village Photograph: ITV / Rex Features/ITV/Rex Features

Richard in Turn Out the Lights, a comedy drama in which she starred with Yootha Joyce, Michael Robbins, Dermot Kelly, Arthur Lowe, Robert Dorning and Trevor Bannister in 1967 Photograph: ITV / Rex Features/ITV / Rex Features

Richard in London in August 1969 Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty

The cast of Are You Being Served? (from left to right): Mollie Sugden as Mrs Slocombe, Wendy Richard as Miss Brahms, Trevor Bannister as Mr Lucas, Nicholas Smith as Mr Rumbold, Larry Martyn, Arthur Brough as Mr Grainger, John Inman as Mr Humphreys and Frank Thornton as Captain Peacock Photograph: BBC

Richard on the set of the Are You Being Served? film in 1977 Photograph: John Curtis /Rex Features

Richard as Miss Brahms and Mollie Sugden as Mrs Slocombe in Are You Being Served? in 1983 Photograph: BBC/BBC

Richard as Pauline Fowler in the early days of EastEnders, which launched in 1985 Photograph: BBC

Female members of the EastEnders cast on-set at Elstree Studios at Borehamwood, Hertfordshire shortly before the launch of the show. From left to right: Letitia Dean, Susan Tully, Shirley Cheriton, Gretchen Franklin, Richard, Anna Wing, Sandy Ratcliffe and Gillian Taylforth Photograph: PA

Richard with Bill Treacher, who played Pauline's husband Arthur, in 1987 Photograph: Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar

Pauline (thirtd from left) in the Queen Vic with Ian (Adam Woodyatt), Pat (Pam St Clement) and Barry (Shaun Williamson) Photograph: BBC

Richard after receiving her MBE in 2000 Photograph: John Stillwell/Press Association

Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh with Richard and Barbara Windsor during the royal visit to Elstree Studios in 2001 Photograph: Michael Stephens/PA

Pauline with older son Mark, played by Todd Carty, in 2003 Photograph: BBC

Pauline with younger son Martin, played by James Alexandrou, in 2006 Photograph: BBC

Richard as Pauline Fowler in 2006: the character grew to become the martriarch of EastEnders' Albert Square Photograph: Adam Pensotti/BBC

Pauline slaps Peggy Mitchell in one of their many showdowns, this time in 2006 Photograph: BBC

Richard poses with her lifetime achievement award at the British Soap Awards in 2007 Photograph: Ben Stansall/Getty Images

Richard and John Burns following their marriage at the Chesterfield, Mayfair, London, in October 2008 Photograph: Danny Martindale/Getty