Dame Maggie Smith’s last picture: Beloved star posed for Loewe fashion campaign before her death aged 89
Dame Maggie Smith beamed at the camera in a fashion campaign for Loewe in what would ultimately be her final photo.
The beloved actress died Friday at the age of 89 with her children Chris Larkin and Die Another Day star Toby Stephens, announcing her passing in a statement.
In October 2023, Maggie was appointed the new face of the luxury Spanish fashion house Loewe.
The veteran of stage and screen delighted fans as she posed for a series of striking photos while modeling the brand.
She beamed through the lens a second time, where she donned a rugged coat and carried a quirky olive-colored handbag.
Maggie Smith beamed at the camera during a fashion campaign for Loewe, which would ultimately become her final photo
It came as the Spanish fashion brand hosted a star-studded fashion show on Friday as part of Paris Fashion Week.
The British star was known for prominent roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, and her Academy Award-winning performance in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie.
In a statement announcing her death, Maggie’s sons said: ‘It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital this morning, Friday 27 September.
‘She was an intensely private person and was ultimately with friends and family. She is survived by two sons and five loving grandchildren, devastated by the loss of their special mother and grandmother.
‘We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and continued 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.’
Born in Ilford, Essex, on December 28, 1934, she was an internationally recognized actress for much of her life after playing fanatical teacher Jean Brodie in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie.
She also won over Harry Potter fans later in life, when she appeared in the film series as the smart, kind and formidable Professor McGonagall.
Dame Maggie Smith attended the Wimbledon Tennis Championships on July 15, 2023
Dame Maggie Smith appears in the 2005 film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
On the same day Maggie’s death was announced, Loewe held their runway show during Paris Fashion Week
The actress had posed for the fashion house a year before her death (model pictured during the show)
And in 2010 she was central to the success of the ITV series Downton Abbey, in her Emmy-winning role as the acerbic Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, which she continued to play in the films.
One of the first to pay tribute was her friend Gyles Brandreth, who said: ‘The saddest news: the death of Dame Maggie Smith marks the end of a golden era and a very extraordinary life.
‘She was truly a wonderful actress, ‘one of the greats’ and simply the best company: wise, witty, lush, wonderful. Unique in every respect and therefore irreplaceable.’