EXCLUSIVE Dame Maggie Smith's heartwarming final picture: How Downton Abbey star thrilled diners at lunch out in London just days before she passed away By Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter Published: 10:07, 1 October 2024 | Updated: 10:13, 1 October 2024 e-mail View comments Sitting outside one of her favourite London restaurants in the warm early Autumn sunshine, this is Dame Maggie Smith just a week before she died. Her family, friends and fans are still mourning the passing of one of world's greatest ever actresses who died at the age of 89 in hospital last Friday. But MailOnline can reveal that just seven days earlier Dame Maggie was on roaring form during a lunch at Lemonia restaurant in upmarket Primrose Hill, where she was a regular.
The Harry Potter and Downton Abbey star, fashionably dressed in a loose blue shirt and trousers, ordered fish and chips as she chatted with a female friend at a small table outside. The titan of the acting world, famously described by friends as drinking like a fish and swearing like a trooper, was also spotted perusing the wine menu. Dame Maggie Smith pictured perusing the menu with a friend outside one of her favourite restaurants - just a week before she died And an insider revealed that at one point she 'slipped into character' and ticked off some teenagers who were laughing noisily as they loitered outside.
Read More How Maggie Smith's beloved sons followed in her footsteps 'Dame Maggie asked them be quiet and be more respectful whilst.