Tributes have flooded in following the death of legendary actress Angela Lansbury. The TV, film and theatre star's death was announced by her family just days before her 97th birthday. And the TV and stage favourite, who played Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, has a little-known connection to Wales.
Born in London, Angela was best known for her portrayal of the mystery writer and amateur detective Fletcher, in the hit American crime drama series which ran for 12 seasons from 1984-1996. However, Angela's link to Wales is far lesser known. The actress was the granddaughter of George Lansbury, the leader of the Labour Party from 1932 to 1935, who the famous Lansbury Park housing estate in Caerphilly town was named after.
Read more: Catherine Zeta-Jones leads Dame Angela Lansbury tributes with hearfelt post
The English politician and social reformer spent his political life campaigning against established authority and vested interests. Through his career he sought to promote social justice, women's rights, and world disarmament.
The working-class hero was elected to the UK Parliament in 1910. He resigned his seat in 1912 to campaign for women's suffrage and was briefly imprisoned after he publicly supported militant action.
George married Angela's grandmother, Elizabeth Brine in 1880. Ten out of 12 of their children survived until adulthood including Angela's dad, Edgar. He followed in his father's footsteps and entered local politics. He became a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain.
Lansbury Park was built as council housing in the 1960s on former farmland in Caerphilly town centre. In 2014, the estate was named the most deprived community in Wales. However, according to the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation in 2019, it became the third most deprived area in Wales, following two parts of Rhyl in north Wales. Each street on the Lansbury Park estate is named after a Labour politician of the past.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks star Lansbury died “peacefully in her sleep” on Tuesday, October 11, her family said in a statement. It read: “The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles at 1.30am today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, just five days shy of her 97th birthday." For her most famous TV role, as Jessica Fletcher, she received 10 Golden Globe nominations, winning four, along with nominations for 12 Emmy Awards. She also famously starred in hit Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks in 1971 as well as stage musicals: Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, and The King and I.
READ NEXT:
