Patricia Roc, 'archetypal British beauty', dies at 88

Patricia Roc, the British screen icon of the 1940s, died yesterday in Switzerland.

The 88-year-old actress, who was suffering from kidney failure, died at La Carita hospital at Locarno near her home at Minusio, her close friend and author, Michael Thorton, announced. Her son, Michael Thomas, was at her bedside.

Often described as "the archetypal British beauty" Roc was one of Britain's top 10 box office stars from 1943 to 1953. The star of classic films, such as The Wicked Lady and When the Bough Breaks, had married three times. Among her lovers was the former US president, Ronald Reagan.

Mourning her death, her co-star in four films Jean Kent, 82, said:" She was a great star and a most beautiful woman, completely unpretentious and full of fun. I shall miss her very much indeed."