Actress Jane Lapotaire, best known for playing Princess Alice of Battenberg in Netflix's The Crown, has died at the age of 81. She passed away on March 5, her death announced on Thursday by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), where she was an Honorary Associate Artist.
Lapotaire's career spanned more than 60 years on stage and screen. She joined the RSC in 1974 to play Viola in Twelfth Night and later won Olivier and Tony Awards for her title role in Pam Gems' Piaf. Her final RSC performances were in 2013 and 2015, playing the Duchess of Gloucester and Queen Isobel in productions directed by Greg Doran.
Born in Ipswich, Suffolk, on December 26, 1944, Lapotaire began her career in 1965 at the Bristol Old Vic. Her breakout role came in 1977 as Marie Curie in a BBC miniseries, followed by her acclaimed portrayal of Edith Piaf. She also appeared in Downton Abbey and Antony and Cleopatra on television.
In 2000, Lapotaire suffered a cerebral haemorrhage while in Paris, requiring two major operations. She documented her recovery in her 2003 memoir Time Out of Mind. She was appointed CBE in 2025 and collected the honour at Windsor Castle in February 2026, her final public appearance.
She is survived by her son, screenwriter and director Rowan Joffe, 53, from her marriage to film director Roland Joffe. Tributes have been paid by colleagues and fans, including actress Carol Drinkwater, who called her a 'feisty woman'.
