Dame Maggie Smith’s final photo shoot before her death was fittingly iconic. The celebrated actress was featured in the October 2023 issue of Vogue, posing for the luxury fashion brand Loewe.

Dame Maggie Smith, who has died at the age of 89, brought an incredible range of expression to her roles, winning high praise from directors and fellow actors alike. It was said of her that she never took a role lightly and would often be pacing around at rehearsals going over her lines while the rest of the cast was on a break.

Generations X, Y and Z may know Dame Maggie Smith from her Loewe ad or from her much meme-d “Downton Abbey” quips, but their parents and grandparents very well could share in that fandom too. Smith was among the elite group of accomplished Britons,