A mezzo soprano, she studied opera at the Royal School of Music as a teenager. Her singing career was stillborn, however, due to an affliction with bronchial asthma. She consequently opted for an acting career instead, though her first position was as a teacher of speech and drama at Coventry Technical College. She gained her first acting experience with a repertory company in Stockport.
On screen, she appeared mostly in matriarchal supporting roles, often as indomitable dowagers (very effectively so in Jeeves and Wooster (1990)), spinster aunts and aristocratic ladies. She starred in her own, short-lived BBC children's series, Simon and the Witch (1987), playing the title role.
The fourth Harry Potter film series cast member to die.
Was nominated for Broadway's 1975 Tony Award as Best Supporting or
Featured Actress (Dramatic) for "London Assurance."
Spent much of her career on stage with the National Theatre (where she had a big hit as Madame Arcati in "Blithe Spirit", in 1976), and, after 1962, on-and-off for two decades, with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Had one daughter, Wendy Spriggs (b. 1952), with her ex-husband Kenneth Spriggs.
Grandmother to Jessica (b. 1979) and Rachael Lumley (b. 1982) via daughter Wendy.
