From the Queen to Dame Vivienne Westwood and Robbie Coltrane – the people who died in 2022

While 2022 was memorable for numerous reasons, some may look back on it as we said goodbye to many remarkable people.

The world has lost some of its most recognizable faces in the last 12 months, from showbiz stars and royalty to athletes and artists.

Among the high-profile people to die this year was Queen Elizabeth II, who died at Balmoral on September 8 at the age of 96, ending her historic 70-year reign.

And the British fashion world said goodbye to its own queen this week when it was revealed that Dame Vivienne Westwood had died at her home in south London, aged 81. Other stars who died in 2022 include actor Robbie Coltrane and ex-Pope Benedict XVI.

Queen Elizabeth II died “peacefully” in Balmoral on September 8 this year. She was 96 years old

Queen Elizabeth the second

Queen Elizabeth II died in Balmoral on September 8th at the age of 96. All of Her Majesty’s children rushed to Balmoral that day after doctors “concerned” about their health. Hours later she died surrounded by her family.

For her subjects at home, Her Majesty was the nation’s anchor, holding firm no matter what storm she or her country faced – from the uncertain aftermath of World War II to the pandemic more recently.

She has also been steadfast in dealing with tragedy and scandal in her own family, most recently the aftermath of the Megxit and the death of her beloved husband Prince Philip.

The Queen’s death came more than a year after that of her beloved husband Philip, her “strength and leader”, who died in April 2021 at the age of 99.

Since his funeral, at which she sat poignantly alone due to lockdown restrictions, her own health has faltered and she has had to miss an increasing number of events, largely due to “mobility issues” and fatigue.

Mrs Vivienne Westwood

British designer Dame Vivienne Westwood died at her home in Clapham on December 29, aged 81

Dame Vivienne Westwood, the godmother of punk who forever changed the world of fashion, died on December 29 at her home in Clapham, south London, aged 81.

She was one of the most influential British fashion designers of the 20th century and cultivated the punk rock movement with her unmistakably political designs.

As the person who dressed the Sex Pistols, Dame Vivienne was synonymous with 1970s punk rock, a rebellious spirit that stayed with her throughout her career, including being in command when she received her OBE from the Queen.

Incredibly, her career began when she was an elementary school teacher and made jewelry and then dresses in her free time after marrying Hoover engineer Derek Westwood.

Her life changed when she met and married second husband Malcolm McLaren, with the couple becoming famous with their ‘Sex’ boutique on King’s Road and dressing bands like the New York Dolls and then the Pistols.

And later in life, her anti-climate change and anti-fracking activism and support for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange dominated her work.

When her death was announced, her third husband and creative partner Andreas Kronthaler said: “I will continue to accompany Vivienne in my heart. We worked to the end and she gave me many things to go on with. Thank you darling.’

Robbie Coltrane

Robbie Coltrane died on October 14 at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, Scotland, aged 72

Actor Robbie Coltrane died on October 14 at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, Scotland, aged 72.

The Scottish star, whose real name was Anthony Robert McMillan, was best known for playing the beloved Hogwarts gamekeeper Hagrid and starring in the 1990s ITV drama as criminal psychologist Dr. Eddie “Fitz” Fitzgerald to perform.

He was awarded an OBE for services to drama in 2006 and won the BAFTA award for Best Actor three years in a row for his role as Dr. Fitz and two BAFTA Scotland Awards. He even voiced the BBC adaptation of King Charles’ children’s book The Old Man Of Lochnagar.

The 72-year-old is said to have had serious health problems after being forced to pull out of London Comic Con in June due to ill health.

Coltrane is survived by his former wife, Rhona Gemmell, whom he married in 1999, his sister, Annie Rae, and their children, Spencer, born in 1992, and Alice, born in 1998.

Pope Benedict XVI

Former Pope Benedict, who died Saturday at the age of 95, was the first pope to resign in 600 years

Former Pope Benedict died on December 31 at the age of 95 after a long battle with an illness.

The ex-Pope, who was the first to resign in 600 years after resigning nine years ago, died in the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican.

Benedict is best remembered for shocking the world on February 11, 2013, when he announced his resignation in Latin, telling the cardinals he was too old and frail to head an institution with more than 1.3 billion members conduct.

Succession to his charismatic predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005, has always been difficult, and Benedict admitted difficulties in an emotional farewell.

“There were moments of joy and light, but also moments that weren’t easy… There were moments… when the sea was rough and the wind was blowing against us and it seemed like the Lord was sleeping,” he said Benedict general audience, a gathering of more than 150,000 people.

Following the election of Pope Francis on March 13, Benedict moved to a converted convent on the Vatican grounds to spend his final years in prayer, reading, playing the piano and entertaining friends.

Mrs Deborah James

BBC podcast host Deborah James died on June 28 after her five-year battle with colon cancer

Dame Deborah James died on June 28 after a five-year battle with colon cancer.

After being diagnosed with the disease, she began working to raise awareness of the disease and donate money to research into a cure under her role of Bowel Babe.

The podcaster and activist announced earlier this year that she had stopped active treatment and was receiving end-of-life care at her parents’ home in Woking with her husband Sebastien and their two children.

In her final weeks, Dame Deborah raised more than £6.7million for research through her BowelBabe fund and was made a Dame for her “tireless” work to raise awareness of the disease.

For her efforts, she was made a Dame and later said she was “honored and shocked” to be even considered for the honor.

Her first book, F*** You Cancer: How To Face The Big C, Live Your Life And Still Be Yourself, was published in 2018. Her second, How To Live When You Could Be Dead, was released earlier this year.

Dame Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John, left, during one of her final public appearances of 2019. The actress died on August 8 at the age of 73

Olivia Newton-John died on August 8th at the age of 73 after a brave and extraordinarily public battle with cancer spanning decades.

The actress famously beat breast cancer twice but was re-diagnosed in 2017.

Born in England to an MI5 agent father, Newton-John moved to Melbourne, Australia with her family when she was six. She returned to the UK as a teenager to pursue a singing career and performed in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.

Her big break in Grease came four years later. She famously resisted the role, initially turning down producer Allan Carr because she thought she was too old for the part.

He won her over and adjusted the script to make the character an Australian expat to accommodate her accent.

When the film was released, it was an instant international hit. After Grease, Newton-John’s acting career stalled. She appeared alongside Lattanzi in the 1980 film Xanadu, which failed to impress at the box office.

She took three years off work after the birth of her daughter in 1986, then in 1992, at the age of 44, she was hit by her first cancer diagnosis. After her initial diagnosis, she largely devoted her career to charity and humanitarian work.

She has spent the last few years at home campaigning for animal rights and raising money online for her charity.

Bernhard Kribbins

Bernard Cribbins, pictured with his wife Gillian, who died last year, died in July aged 93

Bernard Cribbins – the voice and face of childhood on TV and film for generations of Brits – died on July 27 at the age of 93 – just months after the death of his beloved wife, with whom he was almost 70 .

Born in Oldham, Mr. Cribbins, whose mother was a cotton weaver and father a Clog Fighter champion, became one of the most versatile and popular entertainers of his generation, managing to be a favorite on children’s television while also appearing in played along with the rough carry on films.

He joined the Old Rep in Birmingham aged just 14 and enjoyed a 79-year career in show business, apart from a stint in the Parachute Regiment after World War II.

In later life, he defeated prostate cancer and survived triple heart bypass surgery in 1997. He also suffered a spinal injury that made it impossible for him to walk long distances. For this reason, his popular CBeebies series Old Jack’s Boat was filmed with him, telling stories about the sea that delighted young viewers.

The British star has appeared in many Carry On films, Fawlty Towers, Doctor Who, as a narrator in The Wombles, Jackanory and in the classic 1970 film adaptation of The Railway Children.

In 2011, he received an OBE for services to acting for his long career. At the investiture ceremony, he said it was easy to provide the voices of characters like Uncle Bulgaria, Tobermory and Orinoco because The Wombles was written that way.

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meatloaf

Barry Schreier

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Bob McGrath