Claire Gordon died peacefully on 13th April 2015 in a nursing home in Acton, aged 74 years; she was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour in December 2014. At the time she was living in El-gouna, Egypt, but returned to London and underwent an operation at the Charing Cross hospital in January 2015.
She was said to be the inspiration behind Scott Walker's 1966 song, Archangel.
She claimed to be the first British actress to appear fully naked on stage in a 1966 musical version of The Three Musketeers at the New Arts Theatre, London. (It was produced by her husband, William Donaldson).