🔗 Share this article Acclaimed Star Dame Patricia Routledge, Famous for Keeping Up Appearances, Passes Away at the Age of 96 Star Patricia Routledge, famous for playing Hyacinth Bucket in the classic TV sitcom the series Keeping Up Appearances, has left us at the 96, as confirmed by. She also appeared in monologues by Alan Bennett and played the BBC's amateur sleuth Hetty Wainthropp. "We mournfully announce to announce the passing of Dame Patricia Routledge, who passed away peacefully in her sleep recently with loved ones near." "At the remarkable age of 96, Dame Patricia's love for performing and for engaging with theatergoers never waned, just as new generations keep discovering her work through her cherished television roles." The statement continued: "Her absence will be deeply felt by her inner circle and by her loyal fans globally." Dame Patricia in the role of Hyacinth Bucket alongside actor Clive Swift as long-suffering husband Richard in the series Keeping Up Appearances An Illustrious Career Dame Patricia was primarily recognized as the character Hyacinth Bucket - who insisted it be said "bouquet" - a humorous character who represented the extremes of affectation and class consciousness. "She is a wonderfully awful character and I enjoyed playing her tremendously," the star remarked. This classic sitcom aired from the early 1990s, and the following year she was voted the UK's favorite actress at the television awards. She also found acclaim both live and recorded after beginning her professional life in the theater in the 1950s era. After appearances in the West End, she built a reputation in the America when she was awarded the Tony for best lead actress in a musical on New York theater for Darling of the Day in the late 1960s. She was as adept at dramatic roles as she was at song-and-dance and humor - she appeared in classic plays at the RSC, then earned an Laurence Olivier Award for outstanding musical performance for the production Candide in the 1980s. That decade also saw her become a household name - landing appearances by comedian Victoria Wood in As Seen on TV, and Alan Bennett in multiple solo performances, including her Bafta-nominated role, for which she received a Bafta nomination. She garnered more award nominations, for the popular sitcom, in the early 1990s, then took the lead in the title role as a retired woman on a journey into detective work in Hetty Wainthropp between 1996 to 1998. She was honored with an Order of the British Empire in the nineties, a Commander of the British Empire in the 2000s, and a dame in 2017. A Lasting Legacy With her unforgettable roles, Patricia Routledge provided comedy and delight to countless viewers, creating a rich career portfolio that will continue to be celebrated by admirers for generations to come.