British musical theater star

Pat Kirkwood, 86, an actress who was once a star of British musical theater, died Tuesday at a nursing home in Ilkley, England, said author and royal biographer Michael Thornton in a statement. She had Alzheimer’s disease and had been suffering from a chest infection, he said.

Kirkwood’s career of more than 60 years included leading roles in musicals written by Noel Coward and Cole Porter. But she was dogged the rest of her life by rumors of a romantic liaison with Prince Philip -- which she always denied -- after the two were spotted dancing at a London nightclub in 1948 when his wife, the future Queen Elizabeth II, was eight months pregnant with Prince Charles.

The actress, born Feb. 24, 1921, rose to prominence after her 1939 appearance in London in “Black Velvet,” for which she won critics’ praise with her renditions of Porter’s “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” and “Most Gentlemen Don’t Like Love.”

Kirkwood made a bid for Hollywood stardom, appearing with Van Johnson in “No Leave, No Love” in 1946. But the musical was a flop and Kirkwood suffered a nervous breakdown, spending eight months in a sanatorium.