Dame Maggie Smith has been awarded a prestigious honour by the Queen in recognition of a glittering career on stage, screen and television.

The 79-year-old Oscar winning-actress, famed for her roles in Downton Abbey and the Harry Potter films, was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour and joins an illustrious group of recipients who include Professor Stephen Hawking and painter David Hockney.

She was presented with the award during an investiture at Windsor Castle but declined to speak to the press after the ceremony.

For a generation of TV viewers, Dame Maggie is now inextricably linked with her role as the Countess of Grantham in period drama Downton Abbey, while fans of the Harry Potter films will recognise her as Professor McGonagal.

But she has had an extensive career stretching back to the 1950s, beginning professionally at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952 and within four years appearing on Broadway.

Her stage performances have continually drawn acclaim and she has collected numerous awards for roles in plays such as Hedda Gabler, Three Sisters and Private Lives.

She earned the first of six Oscar nominations in 1965 for best supporting actress in Othello, going on to win a best actress trophy four years later for her commanding performance in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie. She won a further Oscar in 1978 with the supporting actress prize for California Suite.

Her vast range of film credits includes A Private Function, Death On The Nile and A Room With A View.

She was made a dame in 1990 and her array of accolades includes a fellowship and a special award from Bafta.

Seven years ago she was treated for breast cancer and said it had knocked her confidence to the extent that she became afraid of returning to the stage.

Born in Ilford, Essex, and raised in Oxford, Dame Maggie has been married twice - to actor Robert Stephens and to playwright Beverley Cross - and is the mother of actor Toby Stephens. Her other son, Chris Larkin, is also an actor.

The Order of the Companions of Honour consists of the sovereign and 65 ordinary members, and recognises service of national importance.