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Dame Barbara Windsor, one of the U.K.'s most popular actresses, has passed away at age 83.

Her husband Scott Mitchell told the BBC that she died peacefully from Alzheimer's on Thursday evening at the London care home she moved into earlier this year.

Windsor was known for her roles in the Carry On franchise, in which a game ensemble cast would deliver a risqué but never too rude mix of double entendres and slapstick. She appeared in nine of these popular British comedy films between 1964 and 1974.

In 1994, she joined the cast of BBC One's flagship soap opera EastEnders, making feisty east London landlady Peggy Mitchell into one of the show's most iconic characters. She remained a main cast member until 2010, then reappeared for several shorter stints between 2013 and 2016, when Peggy was killed off in a moving euthanasia storyline.

This decision was made by Windsor herself, who told the BBC at the time: "Peggy is a character close to my heart but I made the decision a while ago that I need to say goodbye to her once and for all, as otherwise she will always be there, urging me to go back, and that is something I need to shut the door on."

In 2018, her husband revealed that Windsor had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's several years earlier. She and Mitchell later became ambassadors for British nonprofit the Alzheimer's Society. Her other charitable work included serving as a patron of the Amy Winehouse Foundation, set up in honor of the late singer, who was a friend of Windsor's.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has led the tributes to Windsor today. He tweeted: "So sad about Barbara Windsor, so much more than a great pub landlady & Carry On star. She campaigned for the lonely and the vulnerable - and cheered the world up with her own British brand of harmless sauciness & innocent scandal. Thoughts with Scott and all her family & friends."

Matt Lucas summed up her national treasure status in the U.K. by tweeting: "You don't become a Dame by accident. Everyone knew Barbara Windsor and everyone loved her."

Other career highlights included a BAFTA-nominated performance in the classic 1963 British film Sparrows Can't Sing, a Tony-nominated performance in the 1964 Broadway production of Oh, What A Lovely War!, and a voice role as the Dormouse in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Windsor – born in Shoreditch, east London, and raised in nearby Stoke Newington – was given the Freedom of the City of London in 2010. Six years later, Queen Elizabeth II awarded her a Damehood for services to charity and entertainment. She is survived by her husband, Scott Mitchell.

Rest in Peace, Dame Barbara Windsor, and thank you for your service.