Murder She Wrote star Angela Lansbury's family came from Belfast and she never forgot her Irish roots

The actress’s mother Moyna Macgill was born in Belfast in 1895 and grew up in Eglantine Avenue in south Belfast where she would have been known as Charlotte Lillian McIldowie.

Her father William – Angela’s grandfather – was a solicitor and also director of the Grand Opera House, a role which sparked his daughter and in turn his granddaughter’s passion for acting.

Grand Opera House chief executive Ian Wilson said: "Our understanding is that her grandfather William McIldowie was a director of the Grand Opera House. He would have been an important figure in those early years.

"It’s worth bearing in mind that in those days the Grand Opera House was owned by one person, that was the same in most cases in that amazing era of theatre building during the late Victorian period.

"These were private businesses because clearly they didn’t have the competition that we have today with TV and film and other leisure pursuits.”

Ian said: “William was me maybe 100 years ago or thereabouts. It’s nice that the Grand Opera House has a link to the family and to an actress who was such an extraordinary talent.

"A lot of telelvision viewers will remember her as Jessica Fletcher in ‘Murder She Wrote’, but she’d done a lot of film and television work before that.”

The Grand Opera House opened on Great Victoria Street in 1895 a matter of days after Angela’s mother was born less than a mile away.

Ian said: "We’re not aware that Moyna was ever on stage here, she was more of a screen actress.

"Our 127 year history has lots of famous connections, particularly during those early days when movie stars were real movie stars – you had to go to the cinema to see these people, you couldn’t download films.”

He added: “We have regular backstage tours at the Grand Opera House. They’re a great way for people to learn about the history of the theatre and the galaxy of stars who have appeared on our stage – stars like Laurel and Hardy, Morecambe and Wise, Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Darcey Bussell.”

When Charlotte Lillian McIldowie left Belfast for England she changed her name to Moyna Macgill and went on to star alongside the likes of John Gielgud and Basil Rathbone.

She married for a second time to English politician Edgar Lansbury and had three children – Angela and twins Bruce and Edgar Jr.

Interestingly when Angela began playing the lead role of Jessica Fletcher in the hit show Murder She Wrote, which was produced by her brother Bruce, her on screen maiden name was revealed in several episodes as Macgill.

Angela never forgot her family’s Irish roots back in pre-partition Belfast and was a regular vistor to Ireland where she owns a farmhouse in Cork.

In her 1987 biography she wrote: "I'm eternally grateful for the Irish side of me. That's where I got my sense of comedy and whimsy. As for the English half – that's my reserved side ... but put me onstage, and the Irish comes out. The combination makes a good mix for acting."