đź”— Share this article Beloved Performer Patricia Routledge, Iconic for Keeping Up Appearances, Dies at 96 Performer Dame Patricia Routledge, famous for embodying the character Hyacinth Bucket in the beloved TV sitcom the series Keeping Up Appearances, has died at the 96 years old, according to. Beyond that, she starred in Alan Bennett's TV monologues and took on the role of BBC One's amateur sleuth Hetty Wainthropp. "We mournfully announce to announce the death of Patricia Routledge, who left this world peacefully in her sleep this morning with loved ones near." "Despite her advanced years, Dame Patricia's passion for her work and for engaging with theatergoers stayed vibrant, just as new generations are still enjoying her roles through her popular television roles." Her agent continued: "Her absence will be deeply felt by those closest to her and by her devoted admirers globally." Dame Patricia as the iconic Hyacinth alongside actor Clive Swift portraying Richard, her beleaguered husband in Keeping Up Appearances An Illustrious Career Patricia Routledge was most famous as the character Hyacinth Bucket - who insisted it be said "bouquet" - a comic creation who embodied the peak of British social climbing. "She is a wonderfully awful character and I had great fun with the role immensely," the star said. Keeping Up Appearances was broadcast from the early 1990s, and a year later she was voted the nation's most popular actress at the BBC anniversary ceremony. Beyond television, she earned praise both live and recorded after starting her career in the stage in the 1950s era. With performances in London theater, she made a name in the US when she was awarded the Broadway trophy for leading musical performer on New York theater for the musical Darling of the Day in 1968. She proved equally skilled at intense theater as she was at musicals and comedy - she performed in Richard III and Henry V at the Royal Shakespeare Company, then earned an theater prize for outstanding musical performance for the production Candide in the eighties. The 80s also witnessed her emergence as a household name - being given roles by Victoria Wood in As Seen on TV, and Alan Bennett in three of his renowned Talking Heads monologues, including the 1988 piece A Lady of Letters, for which she earned a British Academy nomination. She received additional Bafta nods, for her Hyacinth role, in 1992 and 93, then starred in the central part as a senior citizen on a journey into detective work in Hetty Wainthropp between 1996 to 1998. She was made an Order of the British Empire in the nineties, a CBE in the 2000s, and damehood in 2017. A Lasting Legacy Via her iconic performances, Patricia Routledge brought laughter and entertainment to countless viewers, establishing a extensive body of work that remains cherished by fans into the future.