Terminally ill Wendy's all smiles for her wedding day

AS PAULINE Fowler, Wendy Richard faced 21 years of trials and tribulations in EastEnders.

Yesterday, however, she was all smiles as she married her long-term partner – just days after revealing that she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.

Richard said her one wish was for a fun and "pain-free" day among her friends and family.

She smiled and waved to photographers as she arrived at London's Chesterfield Hotel for her wedding to John Burns, who is 20 years her junior, which was moved forward to fit in with her next bout of chemotherapy – which begins on Monday.

They are planning a honeymoon in the United States – but have postponed it until the actress is in better health.

Richard said her diagnosis had inspired the couple, who have been together for 13 years, to plan their wedding:

"We were going to get married anyway, but when we got the diagnosis we decided to push ahead and get married now. There was no rush before."

Among the 60 guests attending the ceremony were East- Enders stars Natalie Cassidy, Perry Fenwich and Emma Barton, as well as Todd Carty, who played Richard's on-screen son.

A glossy magazine is believed to have paid for exclusive access to the party. Mr Burns yesterday said that the couple, who live in Marylebone, were determined to enjoy their day, despite the circumstances.

"It will be one day when we can, hopefully, put Wendy's illness to the side because it has been a very turbulent time.

"All we have had recently is bad news. It has just been one depressing phone call after another."

According to friends, the actress has been inundated with messages of love and support from fans and colleagues.

Richard, who is a heavy smoker, has fought off breast cancer twice, but in January was told the disease had spread to her right kidney and bones.

She said in a recent interview that she had been in pain for the past five years, adding: "Some nights I've just wanted to scream the place down."

The actress has already written her will and arranged her funeral, saying: "You've got to be practical about these things. I want all my affairs to be in order."

Richard played Pauline Fowler, the endlessly put-upon matriarch of Albert Square, for 21 years before leaving the soap in 2006.

She is also well-known as the sexy but slightly dippy assistant Miss Brahms in the BBC comedy Are You Being Served as well as for several roles in the Carry On films.

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WENDY Richard often spoke of the sacrifices her parents made to send her to stage school, saying it was the reason she was such a hard-working actress.

She performed in two Carry On films – Carry On Matron and Carry On Girls – which also starred EastEnders castmate Barbara Windsor.

From 1972 to 1985, Richard became well known as Miss Brahms, the mini-skirted shop assistant in the department store sitcom Are You Being Served?.

The actress starred in the first episode of EastEnders as Pauline Fowler and was a key character in Albert Square for the next 21 years. Her departure from the soap on Christmas Day 2006 was watched by 10.6 million viewers.

Richard was awarded an MBE in the millennium honours list.