Trivia

She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1998 Queen's New Year Honours List for her services to drama.

Her role as Catherine Of Aragon won her a BAFTA award for Best Actress.

She played Queen Victoria between the ages of 22 (in 1841) and 81 (in 1901) in Edward the King (1975).

Was offered the role of Queen Victoria in Doctor Who: Tooth and Claw. Pauline Collins won the role.

After winning TV Actress of the Year Award for playing Queen Victoria in Edward the Seventh she was out of work for 7 months before stepping in to replace Glynnis Johns as the Godmother in the film The Slipper and the Rose which won her the Best Actress Award in the London Evening News Awards.

Patron of the Celia Cross Greyhound Trust.

Although she played Timothy West and Felicity Kendal's mother in Edward the King (1975), she is only eight months and twelve years their senior respectively in real life.

Enjoys doing crossword puzzles.

Mother of Selina Griffiths

One of a few top actors/actresses who appeared in television commercials for The British Post Office.

Has two roles in common with Frances Cuka: they both played Catherine of Aragon, Crosbie in The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970) and Cuka in Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972), and Mrs Bedwin, Crosbie in Oliver Twist (1999) and Cuka in Oliver Twist (2005).

Has two granddaughters, born in 2000 and 2002.

She has an honorary doctorate of veternary medicine and surgery from Glasgow University.

She has a son, Owen and a daughter Selina who is an actress.