Dame Judi Dench pictured left, with her long-time friend Dame Maggie Smith Dame Judi Dench has spoken about her grief after the death of her close friend, fellow Dame Maggie Smith, who passed away last week.

Dame Judi Dench was moved to tears on Saturday after she was asked about her late friends Maggie Smith and Barbara Leigh-Hunt.

A week after Maggie Smith‘s death, best friend Dame Judi Dench is at a loss for words. When asked about Smith’s death at age 89, as well as the death of friend and collaborator Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Dench broke down into tears during a conversation on Saturday at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.