Diana King (2 August 1918 – 31 July 1986), also known as Diane King, was an English actress who had a career on British television from 1939 to 1986. Born in Buckinghamshire, in August 1918, she attended the Fay Compton School of Drama, and was a prolific theatre performer during and after World War Two.
Television roles King's first television appearance was as a pupil of Tadworth House School in Little Ladyship in 1939. She continued to appear on television and in films throughout the 1940s and 1950s. In 1961, she appeared in The Avengers.
From the 1960s to the early 1980s, she appeared in The Benny Hill Show, Crossroads, Dixon of Dock Green, Pride and Prejudice, You're Only Young Twice and Z-Cars.
King was perhaps best known for her many appearances in situation comedies from the 1960s onwards. She had roles in Dad's Army, Father, Dear Father, The Liver Birds, Fawlty Towers (in the episode "The Wedding Party"), George and Mildred, Bless This House, Rising Damp, Come Back Mrs. Noah and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. She also had semi-regular roles in Are You Being Served? as Mrs Peacock, in Terry and June replacing the late Joan Benham in the role of Melinda Spry, as Norah in Bachelor Father and as George's mother in Marriage Lines. She appeared in Follow Me from 1978 to 1981, with Francis Matthews as moderator.
Her final television appearance was in Inside Story, which was shown in 1986, the year she died of cancer in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire, two days before her 68th birthday.
Partial filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1941 Spellbound Amy Nugent Also known as Passing Clouds and The Spell of Amy Nugent 1957 A Farewell to Arms Hospital Receptionist Uncredited 1958 A Night to Remember First Class passenger Uncredited 1965 Die! Die! My Darling! Woman Shopper 1967 They Came from Beyond Space Mrs Trethowan 1970 Some Will, Some Won't Mrs Craik 1980 The Shillingbury Blowers Mrs Simpkins The Wildcats of St Trinian's Miss Mactavish 1982 Pink Floyd - The Wall Wedding Witness
Television Year Title Role Notes 1958 Time Out for Peggy Norma Burke 5 episodes 1959 The Scarf Marian Hastings 5 episodes 1961 Hancock's Half Hour Mrs Humphries Episode: "The Lift" 1964–1966 The Marriage Lines Mrs Starling 11 episodes 1966 A Game of Murder Iris Bannister 4 episodes 1967 Pride and Prejudice Lady Lucas 5 episodes 1967–1968 The Very Merry Widow Mavis Anstruther 8 episodes 1968 Point Counter Point Janet Bidlake 3 episodes 1970–1971 Bachelor Father Norah 5 episodes 1972 My Wife Next Door Suzy's mother 3 episodes 1975 Fawlty Towers Rachel Lloyd Episode: "The Wedding Party" 1976; 1981; 1983 Are You Being Served? Mrs Peacock 3 episodes 1977 Rising Damp Mrs Armitage Episode: "The Cocktail Hour" 1977–1981 You're Only Young Twice Mildred Fanshaw 31 episodes 1980–1981 Shillingbury Tales Mrs Simpkins 3 episodes 1982–1983 Terry and June Melinda Spry 3 episodes 1983 Cuffy Mrs Simpkins 5 episodes
References
External links