English singer and actress Marianne Faithfull has died at the age of 78, a spokesperson has confirmed.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter, and actress Marianne Faithfull,” the statement reads, “Marianne passed away peacefully inLondon today, in the company of her loving family.”

“She will be dearly missed,” it concludes.

Born to an English father and Austrian mother of noble descent, Faithfull became one of the most prominent female icons of the British Invasion and London’s Swinging Sixties, releasing her debut (and one of her best known) single ‘As Tears Go By’ in 1964. This would be followed by her self-titled debut album one year later.

Her own music was overshadowed in the second half of the 1960s by her highly-publicised relationship with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger. This time also saw her begin her acclaimed acting career, first appearing onstage at the Royal Court Theatre in a performance of Chekhov’s Three Sisters.

After a troubled period in the 1970s, which included a bout of homelessness on the streets of London’s Soho district and battles with heroin and cocaine addiction, Faithfull returned to music with her new wave album Broken English in 1979. A critical and commercial success, it gave Faithfull her first Grammy nomination, for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. In the years since her return to music, she has collaborated with the likes of Nick Cave, Damon Albarn, Metallica, and PJ Harvey, among many others. She would be honoured with a World Lifetime Award at the 2009 Women’s World Awards.

For the past two decades, health problems as varied as broken bones and breast cancer have dogged Faithfull, leading to a number of tours being cancelled or rescheduled. Most recently, she was hospitalised for COVID-19 in 2020.

She is survived by her son Nicholas from her first husband, artist John Dunbar.