Celebrating Britain’s best-loved and most iconic Dames
WORDS: SIAN DOLAN PICTURES: SHUTTERSTOCK, ALAMY
Joan Collins
Playing the vengeful and ultra-glamorous Alexis propelled Joan Collins to international stardom. She shone in the soap opera Dynasty, where the only thing more dramatic than the plot lines were the shoulder pads and bouffant hair. Hers is a timeless style, a glamour that simply embodies the magic of the silver screen. With the raise of a well-manicured eyebrow, Joan Collins reminds us exactly why she is one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Just like her late friend, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan is a style icon who takes great pride in her signature look of a bright lip and quaffed hair. She once said, “Never have I allowed myself to be defined by age. I’ll wear a leather skirt, even a bikini, if I want to.”
Angela Lansbury
Angela shot to stardom after playing the lead role in the Broadway hit, Mame, capitulating her on a glittering career path that would entertain and enthral the world. She is most well-known, of course, for playing lovable sleuth Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, as well as voicing the charming Mrs Potts in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Dame Angela Lansbury sadly passed away last year, leaving behind the legacy of an illustrious career that spanned eight decades.
Maggie Smith
Two-times Oscar winner Maggie Smith is a British national treasure and a global superstar. Like many of her actor friends, Maggie started her career on Broadway, acting alongside the likes of Judi Dench and Derek Jacobi. Over the years she has gifted us with many fantastic characters, from kind Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series to the sharp-witted and equally sharp-tongued Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey. Her performance as the latter was especially brilliant, and the world holds a special fondness for the quick-witted Dowager Countess of Grantham. Fans were saddened by Maggie’s departure from Downton Abbey but gladdened by warm memories of the great Violet Crawley. Much like the Dowager, Maggie is a tour de force; a clever, witty woman with an abundance of talent and a twinkle of mischief in her eye. ➙
Helen Mirren
Helen’s role as DCI Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect secured her position as one of Britain’s greatest actresses. She won many awards for her portrayal of the no-nonsense detective and went on to star in many box-office films, including Gosford Park and Calendar Girls.
Helen’s portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen was arguably
