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Inside Dame Maggie Smith's 'beautiful' final goodbye: Downton Abbey star is laid to rest in 'poignant but not sad' funeral with 'brilliant' eulogies and hymns 'belted out by all'


The funeral of beloved actress Dame Maggie Smith took place quietly on Monday at Mortlake Crematorium in Richmond, more than a month after her passing.

The intimate service, attended by family, friends, and close colleagues, celebrated the life of the 89-year-old star, whose career spanned decades and earned her international acclaim, most notably for her role as the formidable Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey. Her funeral was held in a location that also serves as the final resting place for several notable figures, including former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, her husband Dennis, and comedian Tommy Cooper. In 2010 she was central to the success of ITV series Downton Abbey, in her Emmy-award winning role as the acerbic Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, which she continued to play in the films.

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