Dame Florence Marjorie Wilcox DBE, better known as Anna Neagle, was born in 1904 as Florence Marjorie Robertson. The name Neagle was her mother’s maiden name. She was an English stage and film actress, singer and dancer. She was a successful draw in British cinema for twenty years and in 1949 was voted the most popular star in Britain.
Almost all her films were produced and directed by Herbert Wilcox whom she married in 1943. In her historical dramas, Anna was renowned for her portrayals of British figures , including Nell Gwynn, Queen Victoria and Nurse Edith Cavell.
She and her husband lived in a flat overlooking Park Lane until 1964. Herbert died in 1977 and some time after that she moved to 117b Hamilton Terrace. She was awarded the CBE in 1952 and the DBE in 1969.
She developed Parkinson’s Disease and died in 1986.
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