Dame Maggie Smith's final days detailed as 'devastated' family pay tribute to veteran

Dame Maggie Smith’s children have offered insight into how the “extraordinary” actress spent her final days. The two-time Academy Award winner’s death at 89 was announced on Friday (September 27).

In a statement shared with their publicist, Maggie’s sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens 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.”

The pair, whom she shares with her first husband, the late actor Robert Stephens, continued: “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.”

Chris, 57, and his younger brother Toby, 55, have followed in their parents’ footsteps by becoming actors. The latter is best known for portraying James Bond villain Gustav Graves in 2002’s Die Another Day.

Toby’s other credits include the British police procedural television series, Vexed, Netflix’s One Day and the live-action adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series.

He is currently starring in the Disney+ reboot of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians as the titular character’s father, Poseidon.

In 2001, he married New Zealand actress Anna-Louise Plowman and the pair share two children together.

Chris meanwhile has gained fame through appearing in an episode of Father Brown, 2013’s political satire sitcom Yes, Prime Minister and Holby City.

In an interview with The Times, the father-of-two revealed why he’d changed his surname to Larkin when he was 19.

“There are lots of people whose parents are in the business who might be able to say, 'Yes, I got my big break because of who my parents are.' Great. The challenge is to sustain it.

"And if you're not good, you'll be found out. The job is fairly brutal like that," he added.

In 2016, Chris candidly revealed his mother’s view on ageing and how she wanted to avoid being admitted to a care home if she was to suffer from Dementia.

Despite her various heart issues, including a heart scare, breast cancer and Graves’ ophthalmopathy, Maggie made it clear she’d rather end her life than suffer in pain.

"There's no chance of her ever going into a home,” he said, as per Maggie Smith: A Biography by Michael Coveney.

“She's one of those who says, 'Take me to Switzerland if anything starts going south and I can't remember your names'.”

Last year, Maggie’s final set of professional photographs debuted as part of Spanish fashion house Loewe’s spring 2024 pre-collection campaign.

In the images, she modelled various luxury items including the Loewe Puzzle Bag and posed beside brick walls while beaming.

Tributes have been pouring in across social media honouring the Gosford Park favourite, with This Morning’s Gyles Brandreth typing: “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’ & simply the best company: wise, witty, waspish, wonderful.

“One of a kind in every way & consequently irreplaceable.”

With over 70 years of industry experience under her belt, Maggie is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Violet Crawley in Julian Fellowes’ Downton Abbey and Transfiguration teacher Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film franchise.