ITV Downton Abbey star Maggie Smith dies surrounded by her family

The ITV star had a career spanning decades and she appeared in multiple hit films and plays - with star performances in recent years in The Lady in the Van, Quartet and The Secret Garden

Dame Maggie Smith has died at 89. The Harry Potter and Downton Abbey star passed away in hospital, her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens have announced.

A statement released through their publicist revealed the news. In it, 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.”

She had a career going back decades in both theatre and on screen. In recent years, she achieved renewed fame for her role as Violet Crawley in ITV hit Downton Abbey and in the Harry Potter film series as Professor Minerva McGonagall.

She also appeared in films in recent years such as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and continued to act well into old age. TV legend Gyles Brandreth paid tribute on X, saying: "The saddest news: the death of Dame Maggie Smith marks the end of a golden era & 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 & consequently irreplaceable."