Vale Dame Vera Lynn
Iconic songstress Dame Vera Lynn has died at the age of 103.
In a statement, the singer’s family said she passed away on Thursday “surrounded by her close family”.
The Forces’ Sweetheart, who had sold over a million records by the age of 22, was best known for performing hits such as We’ll Meet Again to troops in World War Two, as well as The White Cliffs Of Dover, There’ll Always Be An England, I’ll Be Seeing You, Wishing and If Only I Had Wings.
She was also known for her charity commitments, having been involved with organisations concerned with military veterans as well as polio, breast cancer, blindness and cerebral palsy.
Her last public performance was at Hyde Park, in a 1995 ceremony that marked the 50th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
Days before her 100th birthday, she released a compilation album titled Vera Lynn 100, featuring re-orchestrated versions of some of her most popular tunes. The album rose to number 3, making her the first centenarian to enter the UK charts.
In April, the Queen referenced the song during a speech to Britons who were separated from families and friends due to the coronavirus lockdown, saying: “We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again.”
Following the speech, Dame Vera beat her previous record to become the oldest artist to get a top 40 album in the UK after the song re-entered the charts at number 30.
Dame Vera is survived by her daughter Virginia.