Barbara Ann Deeks was born in Stepney, London, to Rose (Ellis),a dressmaker, and John Deeks, a costermonger.
Her parents wanted her to attend university, but after her first taste of show business, she decided acting was her calling.
Her mother spent all her savings on a place at the Aida Foster Acting School, where Barbara made her stage debut in Aida's 1950s pantomime at the Golders Green Hippodrome.
In 1952, she was cast as one of the orphans in the musical "Love from Judy", which opened at London's Saville Theatre.
She made her television debut in "Variety Parade" and her film debut as a school girl extra in "The Belles of St. Trinians" in 1954.
By 1957, she was performing at London's Winston's Club with Amanda Barrie.
The producer Joan Littlewood spotted her at an audition and gave her the role of Rose in "Fings Ain't What They Used to Be" at London's Garrick Theatre in 1960.
As a result of the success of "Fings", Littlewood cast her in the film Sparrows Can't Sing in 1963.
She appeared in Joan's stage version of 'Oh! What a Lovely War' on Broadway and toured America with it in 1964.
On her return, she was cast in the West End production of Lionel Bart's ill fated musical "Twang", which closed after a short run.
She was cast in the West End production of "Come Spy with Me" with Danny La Rue at London's Whitehall Theatre.
During the run, she had a complete change in playing one of the Ripper's victims in the film A Study in Terror in 1965.
She appeared in lighthearted roles in such films as Carry on Doctor in 1967 and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968.
In 1968, she went on a British tour with Frankie Howerd in "The Wind in the Sasafras Tree".
In late 1969, Ned Sherrin cast her as the music hall legend Marie Lloyd in "Sing a Rude Song" which opened at the Greenwich Theatre before transferring to the West End's Garrick Theatre.
Windsor became well known in the London theatrical scene, but it was the "Carry On" comedies that made her a star.
She appeared in only nine films in the long-running series, but made such an impression as the basically good-hearted but dizzy sexpot that many of the series' fans believe she was in many more than she actually was.
After she left the series, she continued her stage and film work, and became a regular in a long-running British soap opera, EastEnders, as the matriarch of The Queen Victoria - Peggy Mitchell, which she played in over 1,500 episodes.
She wrote two autobiographies, "Barbara - the Laughter and Tears of a Cockney Sparrow" and "All of Me - My Extraordinary Life".
She was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 Queen's New Years Honours for her services to entertainment.
She was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2016 Queen's New Years Honours for her services to entertainment and to charity.
Dame Barbara Windsor died of Alzheimer's disease on December 10, 2020, in London.
