Maggie Smith died earlier this year (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The beloved , who died aged 89 earlier this year, endured her twilight years with a heavy heart after the death of her second spouse. The star admitted that she found solace in her acting during those sorrowful times.
Renowned for her portrayal of the indomitable Violet Crawley on , Dame Maggie first walked down the aisle in 1967, marrying actor Robert Stephens. The couple, blessed with sons Chris and Toby, met at the National Theatre at the Old Vic and shared the screen in several films, notably in Maggie’s acclaimed performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969).
However their relationship broke down in 1973, following a harrowing event that deeply affected their relationship. In a candid interview with The Guardian in 2004, recounted how Robert’s alleged suicide attempt during his run in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes marked the decline of their marriage.
She reflected: “And after that it was just hopeless. We had two little boys. He didn’t understand. I sure as hell didn’t understand. It got worse and then it went on getting worse and worse. In the end it was destroying everybody. And he was having so many affairs.”
Dame Maggie later found joy once again in the arms of acclaimed playwright Beverly Cross – an old flame from her burgeoning days as a young starlet.
Maggie Smith with her husband Robert Stephens (Image: Mirrorpix)
At 18, she had already caught the eye of Beverly, then an Oxford student who transfixed by her, and he proposed despite being tangled in his first marriage’s ending, reports .
Maggie went on to build a life with Robert. Post-divorce, the pair reunited once more.
Her profound love for Beverly was once captured in her words reported by Hello! magazine: “When you meet again someone you should have married in the first place, it’s like a script. That kind of luck is too good to be true.”
However, one again in 1998 at 66, Maggie found herself alone once more. Expressing her grief in a 2014 Telegraph interview, she shared: “They say it goes away but it doesn’t. It just gets different.
“It’s awful, but what do you do? After the busyness you are more alone, much more. A day that is absolutely crowded keeps your mind away from why you are alone but when it stops there is that deafening silence.”
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Maggie was married to playwright Bever (Image: Getty Images)
Providing a glimpse into Maggie’s mindset during her later years, film critic and author of Maggie Smith: A Biography, Michael Coveney, revealed that she found acting increasingly ‘draining’ with age. In a conversation with the Sunday People, Michael shared that Maggie had confided in him, saying: “Life, really, is terribly hard.”
He further explained: “Maggie just doesn’t see what’s good about what she’s doing most of the time.”
Dame Maggie passed away peacefully in hospital, surrounded by her loved ones, on the morning of Friday, September 29, 2024. Her family expressed their devastation at her loss and extended their gratitude to the staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
In a statement released through their publicist, the family announced: “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.”
As an intensely private individual, Maggie was surrounded by friends and family in her final moments. She leaves behind two sons and five grandchildren, who are heartbroken by the loss of their remarkable mother and grandmother.
The family took the opportunity to thank the staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their exceptional care and kindness during Maggie’s final days.
The family expressed their appreciation for the kind messages and support, requesting that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.