Beloved actress Dame Maggie Smith was laid to rest peacefully in a “poignant but not sad” funeral on Monday, more than a month after her death.
The intimate service, attended by family, friends and close colleagues, celebrated the life of the Oscar-winning actress who died in hospital on September 27 after an incredible 70-year career that earned her international recognition.
Her death sparked an outpouring of grief around the world, with many remembering her role as the resourceful Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter and the formidable Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey.
Born in Ilford, Essex, on December 28, 1934, Dame Maggie passed away peacefully in hospital at the age of 89 last month, with her children revealing she was “with friends and family” until the end.
On Monday, the legendary late actress’s inspiring life was celebrated at Mortlake Crematorium in Richmond, south-west London, where mourners “sang hymns” and listened to “brilliant eulogies”.
Guests were invited to arrive at 4:00 p.m., where they were greeted in a ceremony described by one attendee as “beautiful,” warm and full of laughter.
“What a beautiful goodbye today to Maggie Smith,” said one guest. “It was warm and funny and full of love and glowing praise, with the best hymns sung by everyone. It was touching but not sad because his was a life well lived.
The funeral of beloved actress Dame Maggie Smith took place quietly on Monday at Mortlake Crematorium in Richmond, more than a month after her death. Guests were invited to arrive at 4 pm, where they were greeted in a ceremony described by one attendee as “beautiful”, warm and full of laughter.
The order of service included a touching tribute to the late actress, with a photo of a young Dame Maggie on the front and a later image of her smiling on the back.
Dame Maggie Smith in the 1976 film Murder By Death, which also starred Alec Guinness.
Dame Maggie Smith is appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honor by Queen Elizabeth II during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on October 17, 2014.
“I knew her through the decades that Robert worked with her, but I adored her.
‘Molly was traumatized when she first met her, as she knew her as the terrifying housekeeper Mrs Medlock in The Secret Garden! Maggie was as funny and clever as they come. One of the greats.’
The order of service included a touching tribute to the late actress, with a childhood photo of Dame Maggie on the front and a later image of her smiling on the back.
The commemorative card read “In memory of Dame Margaret Natalie Smith.”
Dame Maggie died on September 27 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, after a prolonged illness.
Although born in east London, Dame Maggie spent her final years in West Sussex.
His funeral was held at a location that also serves as the final resting place for several notable figures, including former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, her husband Dennis and comedian Tommy Cooper.
None of the Oscar winner’s ex-husbands are buried in Mortlake.
Dame Maggie Smith, best known for her iconic role as Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, was celebrated as “a true legend” both on stage and screen following her death at the age of 89.
Maggie Smith beaming in front of the camera in a fashion campaign for Loewe in what would end up being her last photo
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
His heartbroken sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, announced his death “with great sadness” in an emotional statement.
They paid tribute to their “extraordinary” mother, an “intensely private person” who was “at the end with friends and family”.
Dame Maggie leaves behind two children and five grandchildren.
Tributes poured in from across the country, with heartfelt messages from King Charles, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and many of her long-time co-stars.
The King described her as “a national treasure”, adding: “My wife and I were deeply saddened to learn of her passing.”
“As the curtain falls on this national treasure, we join people around the world in remembering with deepest admiration and affection his many remarkable performances, as well as the warmth and wit he shared both on and off the stage.” .
Maggie Smith alongside Miriam Margolyes, Richard Harris and Alan Rickman in the 2002 film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Dame Maggie Smith died on September 27 at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, after a prolonged illness. Born in Ilford, east London, she spent her final years in West Sussex.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer praised her, calling her “loved by many for her extraordinary talent.”
Daniel Radcliffe, her Harry Potter co-star, fondly remembered her “fierce intellect” and “gloriously sharp tongue.”
Miriam Margolyes, another close friend and collaborator, called her “the best of the best,” noting her unique blend of “ferocity, a flash of mischief, delight and tenderness.”
Margolyes told BBC News: “I’m in awe of her, as are all her colleagues.” I saw how kind she was, but also how absolutely terrifying she could be when she wanted to be.’
Dame Maggie’s career spanning more than half a century earned her recognition almost from the start, and she received an early Bafta nomination for Promising Newcomer in 1959 for the crime film Nowhere To Go.
In 2010, she was instrumental in the success of the ITV series Downton Abbey, in her Emmy Award-winning role as the acerbic Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, which she continued to play in the films.
The star was an internationally recognized actress for much of her life after playing fanatical teacher Jean Brodie in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie.