Paula David – Fourth Estate Cooperative Reporter
London, United Kingdom (4E) – Actress and jewelry designer Angharaad Rees died at 63 on Saturday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Her family released a statement in Rees’ official website saying, “The family of Angharad Rees (McAlpine) are deeply saddened to announce that Angharad passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.”
Rees was a Welsh actress with a career spanning over 30 years. She started with an acting role in the 1969 film “The way We Live Now” and has gained popularity playing Demelza in the BBC drama series “Poldark” in the 70s. Rees then went on to play film and television roles in “Robin Hood”, “Jane Eyre”, and the cult classic “hands of the Ripper”. She also graced the West End Stage in “Romeo and Juliet”, “Hamlet”, and John Osbourne’s “A Picture of Dorian Gray”.
Aside from acting, Rees founded her own Knightsbridge-based jewellery design company, which items were featured in the film “Elizabeth, The Golden Age”, and was an active supporter of the arts, and was awarded as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.
The late actress was married to Christopher Cazenove (“Dynasty”) from 1973 to 1994 and had two sons together, Linford, who died in a car crash in 1999, and Rhys, 35. Rees remarried in 2005 to David McAlpine.
Rees’ family, who said that the funeral will be private are thankful for support from friends over the years. Plans for a service to celebrate Rees’ life, though, will be announced by the family in due course.