The King has also paid tribute to Smith and called her a “a national treasure.”

“My wife and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Dame Maggie Smith,” a statement on the Royal Family Instagram account said. “As the curtain comes down on a national treasure, we join all those around the world in remembering with the fondest admiration and affection her many great performances and her warmth and wit that shone through both on and off the stage.”

Both the Prime Minister and the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, also shared tributes on social media, with Nandy calling the actor a “true British icon of the stage and screen”.

The acting world has also paid its tributes to Smith, including Julian Fellowes, Rob Lowe, Hugh Bonneville, Whoopi Goldberg and Daniel Radcliffe.

The Sister Act actress shared a picture on her Instagram of the two on the set of the film dressed as nuns. Paying tribute, she wrote: “Maggie Smith was a great woman and a brilliant actress. I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with the ‘one-of-a-kind’ . My heartfelt condolences go out to the family… RIP.”

Tributes are being shared to Dame Maggie Smith following her death at the age of 89