British stage and screen actress Maggie Smith has died at the age of 89. Her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens confirmed the news. The sons said in a statement released through their publicist: “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Lady Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital in the early hours of Friday 27th September. A very private person, she was ultimately with friends and family.”

The Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. At the time, the actress was filming the sixth instalment of the Harry Potter franchise, but continued to appear in the film.

“She is survived by two sons and five loving grandchildren, who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,” the family said in a statement.

Margaret Natalie Smith was born in December 1934 in Ilford, east London, to a Scottish secretary and a pathologist. The future star moved to Oxford when she was four years old after her father got a job at the university, and then dropped out of school to study acting at the Oxford Playhouse.

At just 17, Maggie landed her first role as Viola in Twelfth Night, and went on to star in Cinderella and The Government Inspector. In 1958, the actress made her screen debut in Nowhere to Go, but it wasn’t until 11 years later, when she achieved international fame in the Academy Award-winning The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, that she achieved international fame.

The actress is known for a number of stunning roles, including Professor Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter), Countess of Grantham (Downton Abbey) and Muriel Donnelly (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). Maggie Smith is the winner of two Oscars and many other prestigious awards, including an Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe.

Maggie Smith was married twice: her first marriage, to Robert Stephens, lasted from 1967 to 1975. The actress’s second husband was playwright Beverley Cross, with whom they lived until his death in 1998. In 1990, the actress became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and in 2014 she became a Knight Commander of the Order of the Companions of Honour.

Most of us remember Maggie Smith from her “older” roles, but in her youth she was a famous beauty. Worldwide fame came to the actress quite late, largely thanks to her role in the Harry Potter franchise.