Maggie Smith, thespian extraordinaire, has died. (I almost wrote actress rather than thespian but that word has fallen out of favour in the past couple of decades. In any case her work surpasses that of male members of her profession.)

Her name must be one of the most recognisable in British life over the past fifty or so years. A Grande Dame of British acting, her ability to hold the eye and dominate a scene was all but unsurpassed.

Margaret Natalie (Maggie) Smith: 28/12/1934 − 27/9/2024. So it goes.