EastEnders Pictures: First look at Peggy’s Funeral

EastEnders stars have been filming scenes for the saga on-location in Bushey, Hertfordshire this week as Peggy Mitchell is laid to rest.

Behind-the-scenes pictures released by the beeb show a horse-drawn carriage arriving at the church with Peggy’s casket which is then carried by her son Phil (Steve McFadden) and grandson Ben (Harry Reid), while other stills show filming about to take place by a graveside with Peggy’s coffin being lowered into the ground.

Danniella Westbrook, who plays Peggy’s daughter Sam Mitchell, was also present at the filming alongside Anna Karen as Peggy’s sister ‘Aunt Sal’, Peggy’s nieces Ronnie (Samantha Womack) and Roxy (Rita Simons), and her granddaughter Louise (Tilly Keeper).

Dame Barbara Windsor announced in January that she was drawing a line under her iconic character, noting at the time:

“Everyone knows I love EastEnders and that will never change. Peggy is a character close to my heart but I made the decision a while ago that I need to say goodbye to Peggy 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. After thinking long and hard about it, I realised that it is time for me and the audience to say our final farewells to the lady who I have loved for many years and I thought that whilst the guvnor, who I adore, is still in charge I want him to be the one to oversee it. I am grateful that Dominic has accepted my decision and together, since late last summer, we have been secretly plotting Peggy’s last scenes.”

On-screen Peggy made a brief return to the soap and revealed to son Phil that her cancer has returned and is terminal with the beeb noting that further episodes featuring the actress, her last ever, would transmit in late spring.

Peggy made her final return to Walford on Monday (9 May) and has since decided to stop having chemo after learning the cancer has spread to her brain. The matriarch will pass away on Tuesday 17th May after paying a final visit to the Queen Vic – whose bar she stood behind for many years – and being reunited with her son Grant (Ross Kemp).

Peggy has been at the centre of numerous high-profile storylines in the BBC One soap since Barbara’s first appearance in the role in 1994. These include her marriage to Frank Butcher (Mike Reid) and fury after discovery his affair with ex-wife Pat (Pam St. Clement), her grudge against Sharon (Letitia Dean) for cheating on Grant with his brother Phil, her battle with breast cancer and her marriage to manipulative former brother-in-law Archie (Larry Lamb) which resulted in her losing the Queen Vic.

Her outspoken views have sometimes caused offence in the Square including, in 1996, when she publicly exposed Mark Fowler’s HIV+ status and barred him from the Vic, while her feud with Pat led to a surprising friendship and popular double act in the serial.

Peggy was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time in 1996, with the disease recurring in 1999 leading to her having a mastectomy. The emotional scenes saw Barbara pick up an award for Best Actress at the British Soap Awards. In 2010 Peggy feared her cancer had returned but it was a false alarm.

Barbara originally played the role of Peggy between 1994-2010 and has since made a number of one off returns to the saga, including during the 30th anniversary live week last year.

EastEnders, Mondays and Fridays at 8pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One