The actress Dame Maggie Smith has died at the age of 89.  

In a statement issued via her publicist it read: "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.”

She was best known for playing the character of Violet Crawley on the TV series, and subsequent two films, of Downton Abbey and as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series. 

Smith was a celebrated actress having won the Triple Crown of Acting, which is receiving the highest awards for film, television and theatre. 

For film she was nominated for six Oscars, winning Best Actress for the title role in the 1969 film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Best Supporting Actress for playing Diana Barrie in the 1978 film California Suite. 

For theatre she won a Tony for Best Actress in a Play for Lettice and Lovage in 1990, and for television she picked up three Supporting Actress Primetime Emmy Awards in 2011, 2012 and 2016 for her role in Downton Abbey. 

Alongside that she also won a Lead Actress Emmy as Mrs. Emily Delahunty for the miniseries My House in Umbria in 2003. 

Smith was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990 for contributions to the Arts and a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to drama in 2014. 

She is survived by her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens who are also both actors. 

Maggie Smith’s decision to take up acting 

Despite Smith being a titan of the British acting industry she initially didn’t have the urge to get into the field as a youngster. 

In an interview with ES Magazine in 2019 she explained: "Honest to God, I have no idea where the urge came from. It was such a ghastly time and we didn't go to the theatre.  

“I got into terrible trouble once because the neighbours took me to the cinema on a Sunday.  

“But I had a wonderful teacher, Dorothy Bartholomew, who also taught Miriam Margolyes, and who encouraged me."