How Maggie Smith died amid long-running health issues and devastating diagnoses

Fans were left heartbroken by Harry Potter star Maggie Smith's death in September, with ITV paying tribute to the actress in Dame Maggie Smith: A Celebration on Saturday

Oscar-winning actress Dame Maggie Smith passed away in September in a London hospital, much to the shock of "devastated" fans and loved ones.

The 89-year-old Harry Potter legend built an incredible career, spanning more than 60 years, and died surrounded by her family, who thanked NHS staff at Chelsea and Westminster hospital. A statement released at the time didn't confirm her cause of death, but announced that with "great sadness" the "intensely private" Dame passed away peacefully.

It read: "She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting 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.”

But although no official cause has been released thus far, the esteemed actress was plagued by health issues over the years, including a diagnosis of breast cancer and Graves' disease. She also had a hip replacement and was told she had glaucoma in one eye.

Maggie was diagnosed with Grave's disease in 1988, after she had just broken her arm after falling off a bicycle on a trip to the British Virgin Islands. She had just kicked off her run in play Lettice and Lovage, and saw out her year-long contract despite her condition. Grave's disease causes symptoms including irritability, fatigue, tremors, skin discolouration and a change in eye shape, and is a cause of hyperthyroidism. She later went on to develop "protrusion of the eyeballs", telling the New York Times that she thought she "looked absolutely frightening".

Then, while she was filming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 2007, Maggie was told by medics she had breast cancer and immediately started treatment. Explaining her first symptoms, she told The Times: "I had been feeling a little rum. I didn’t think it was anything serious because years ago I felt a lump and it was benign. I assumed this would be too."

Maggie added: “It kind of takes the wind out of your sails, and I don’t know what the future holds, if anything. I don’t think there’s a lot of it, because of my age — there just isn’t. It’s all been. I’ve no idea what there will be."

She played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise, but revealed she wore a wig after she lost her hair due to the cancer treatment, which also left her feeling "horribly sick". "I was hairless," she added. "I had no problem getting the wig on. I was like a boiled egg."

Maggie said she planned to "stagger through" the next two films of franchise, despite being left "flattened" by her cancer treatment.

Dame Maggie Smith: A Celebration will air on ITV at 8.35pm on Saturday.

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