Her entrance in Goldfinger is surely among the most memorable in the history of the James Bond franchise.

“Who are you?” asks Sean Connery’s groggy protagonist when he wakes up after being knocked out with a tranquiliser gun.

“My name is Pussy Galore,” comes the cool, purring reply.

“I must be dreaming,” responds 007, his face breaking into a smirk.

Honor Blackman’s opening exchange in the 1964 spy classic earned the actress recognition as the “ultimate Bond Girl” and cemented a decades-spanning career that would see her land a string of roles on both the small and silver screens.

But yesterday it all came to an end as tributes flooded in following news of her death at the age of 94.

A message from Blackman’s family said: “She died peacefully of natural causes at home in Lewes, Sussex surrounded by her family.

“She was much loved and will be greatly missed by her two adopted children Barnaby and Lottie, and her four grandchildren Daisy, Oscar, Olive and Toby.

“As well as being a much adored mother and grandmother, Honor was an actor of hugely prolific creative talent; with an extraordinary combination of beauty, brains and physical prowess, along with her unique voice and a dedicated work ethic she achieved an unparalleled iconic status in the world of film and entertainment and with absolute commitment to her craft and total professionalism in all her endeavours she contributed to some of the great films and theatre productions of our times.”

Born in London in 1925, Blackman built a screen career that stretched back to the years immediately after the Second World War, when she made her debut with a non-speaking part in Roy Boulting’s1947 film Fame Is The Spur.

She went on to win roles alongside some of cinema’s greatest icons, including Dirk Bogarde in So Long At The Fair (1950) and Dean Martin in Something Big (1971).

Among her best known action film appearances was as the goddess Hera in Don Chaffey’s Jason And The Argonauts (1963), which was famed for its mythical monsters created by stopmotion pioneer Ray Harryhausen.

She was cast as Pussy Galore thanks to her 1960s small screen outing as Cathy Gale in the The Avengers.

Success in that role famously led to Blackman and Avengers co-star Patrick Macnee teaming up to record Kinky Boots.

The track, initially commissioned for TV series That Was The Week That Was, failed to top the charts when it came out in 1964. However, it was re-released in 1990 and peaked at number five.

Blackman’s family stressed that her interests were varied and wide-ranging.

“In recent years, Honor was touring and performing in her show Honor Blackman As Herself at various venue across the UK,” they said.

“In conversation with her colleague and friend Richard Digby Day, she looked back over her astonishing life, her beginnings, her family, her rise to stardom with her usual sense of humour and perspective.

“Honor was an avid reader of news and politics and she particularly loved all forms of insightful unbiased reporting and intellectually enlightened broadcasting.”

Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said on Twitter: “Today we mark the passing of a film icon, Honor Blackman, who shall forever be remembered as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger.”

Film director Edgar Wright, meanwhile, described her as the “ultimate Bond Girl and original Avenger”.

Comedian David Walliams tweeted: “Farewell Honor Blackman.

“She will live forever as Pussy Galore in ‘Goldfinger’.”

Actor Joe McGann, who starred alongside her in The Upper Hand, said on social media: “What a woman she was - fiercely bright, superbly funny and a wonderful actress... I loved every day of working with her and I loved and respected her with all my heart.”