Beloved British actress Dame Barbara Windsor dies aged 83 following battle with Alzheimer's disease

Beloved British actress Dame Barbara Windsor has sadly died. 

It was her husband, Scott Mitchell, who shared the news with PA Entertainment in the UK, confirming the EastEnders legend has passed away aged 83.

Mitchell did not reveal an official cause of death but in the lead up to her passing, Windsor had battled Alzheimer's disease.

She was first diagnosed with the degenerative disease in 2014, but it wasn't until 2018 she made her diagnosis public.

READ MORE: EastEnders star Barbara Windsor will need to enter a home as Alzheimer's battle worsens

Earlier this year, Mitchell revealed that his wife of 20 years had been placed in a care facility as her condition deteriorated. 

"It's the thing I've always feared. [The specialist is] basically telling me I need to prepare myself that at some point it may not be sustainable to give her the kind of care she needs at the house," the 57-year-old said in the two-part documentary Ross Kemp: Living With Dementia before his wife was admitted.

"I've had some fairly dark moments since he said that because there's a part of me that knows that most likely is the truth and that's what needs to happen. There's another part of me which can't imagine letting her go."

Windsor is known for role as landlady Peggy Mitchell in the long-running British drama EastEnders and her appearances in the Carry On film franchise.