Maggie Smith receives royal honour from Queen Elizabeth

                    Veteran actress Maggie Smith was made a member of the Order of the

Companions of Honour by Queen Elizabeth.

                    The 79-year-old ‘Downton Abbey’ star was made a member of the Order of the

Companions of Honour, one of Britian’s highest honours, at a special ceremony at Windsor

Castle in Berkshire, England in recognition of her services to drama over the past six

decades, reported BBC online.

                   The actress joins an elite group of just 65 other Companions of Honour,

including Professor Stephen Hawking, Judi Dench and Ian McKellen, but the prestigious

accolade carries no title.

                   The ‘Harry Potter’ star enjoyed a private conversation with the Queen upon being

presented with her gold badge, but declined to speak after the ceremony.

                   The Order of the Companions of Honor — sometimes regarded as a junior class

of the Order of Merit — was instituted in 1917 by George V at the same time as the Order of

the British Empire was founded.

                  The two-time Oscar winner, who is currently filming ‘The Lady In The Van,’

received her formal Dame title, which is the highest honour bestowed upon a citizen of the

British Empire, in 1990.  more >>