Oscar-winning actress Dame Maggie Smith died in hospital this morning aged 89, her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens have revealed.
In a statement issued via their publicist, they said: ‘It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith.
‘She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September.
‘An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.
‘We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.
‘We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.’
Among the first to pay tribute was her friend Gyles Brandreth, who said: ‘The saddest news: the death of Dame Maggie Smith marks the end of a golden era and a quite extraordinary life.
‘She was a truly great actress, ‘one of the greats’ and simply the best company: wise, witty, waspish, wonderful. One of a kind in every way and consequently irreplaceable.’
More to follow
Dame Maggie Smith appears in the 2005 film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Dame Maggie Smith arrives for the world premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in London on July 7, 2011
Dame Maggie Smith played the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey
Dame Maggie Smith attending the 2022 Wimbledon Championships on July 9, 2022
Dame Maggie Smith attending the Royal and World Premiere of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel at the Odeon in Leicester Square, London on February 17, 2015
Maggie Smith alongside Miriam Margolyes, Richard Harris and Alan Rickman in 2002 film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Dame Maggie Smith is made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour by Queen Elizabeth II during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on October 17, 2014
