Gabrielle Blunt

Blunt was the daughter and only child of Henry Wilfrid Blunt (born 17 May 1887, died 13 October 1956) and Maud Etta Hyde (born 1890, died 1976) who were married on 10 May 1915. She was the granddaughter of Sir John Harvey Blunt, eighth Baronet Blunt of London (born 1 January 1839, died 26 January 1922) and Susan Hoad (born 1843, died 1 April 1917).

Blunt began her theatre career in regional rep in the early 1940s, and toured Europe with the Entertainments National Service Association in 1945. That same year, she was seen in Vanbrugh's The Confederacy at the York Festival.

Gabrielle Blunt found theatre and television more productive arenas throughout a career spanning six decades. She starred in the film Whisky Galore! (1949).

Mother of Paul John Anthony Bond (born Paul John Anthony Thawnton in 1946), Nickolas Peter Bond (born Nicholas Peter Thawnton in 1947, later Nicholas Peter Bond) and Stella Mary Bond (born 30 August 1956). Her first two children (both sons fathered by her first husband) were adopted by her second husband in 1955.

Her small-screen breakthrough came with the 1968 George Cole-starring comedy A Man of Our Times, after which she moved comfortably between comedy and drama.

Later appearances included Irene Coates' This Space is Mine (Hampstead Theatre, 1969); Mrs Jeffcote in Hindle Wakes (Northampton Rep, 1972); Agatha Christie's Ten Little Niggers (Palace Theatre, Westcliffe, 1975); Under Milk Wood (Thorndike Theatre, Leatherhead, 1980), Duchess of Malfi (Oxford Playhouse, 1983); and Ayshe Raif's Fail/Safe (Soho Poly, 1986).

Mother-in-law of Diane Christine Edwards. Grandmother of Karen Kirsten Bond (born 1972) and Alex Alison Bond (born 1977).

Mother-in-law of Jennifer L Desmonde. Grandmother of Alice Pearl Sweetpea Bond (born 1981) and Laurence Jack Bond (born 1983).

In later years, she was regularly to be found in hit comedies including Shine on Harvey Moon (1982), One Foot in the Grave (1990), Screen One: Pat and Margaret (1994), The Thin Blue Line (1995), Drop the Dead Donkey, The Fast Show, Harry Enfield's Television Programme and Paul Merton - The Series.

In the early 1990s she appeared in a documentary about the film Whisky Galore, which was later included on a DVD release of the original 1949 film.

In 1998, Blunt toured the UK and Europe in Out of Joint's premiere of Caryl Churchill's Blue Heart, travelling with it to New York the following year. Blunt was married and divorced twice and had 3 children. Her second husband adopted her children from her first marriage.

Predeceased her daughter Stella by around 5 months in 2014. Stella died 18 November 2014 aged just 58.