Who did Dame Patricia Routledge play in Keeping Up Appearances? Award-winning British actress passes away at 96

Dame Patricia Routledge, who played the role of Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances, passed away at the age of 96. The award-winning British actress's death was confirmed by her agent, who said she passed away peacefully in her sleep, "surrounded by love."

Her agent released a statement:

"We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of Dame Patricia Routledge, who died peacefully in her sleep this morning surrounded by love. Even at 96 years old, Dame Patricia's passion for her work and for connecting with live audiences never waned, just as new generations of audiences have continued to find her through her beloved television roles."

The agent concluded:

"She will be dearly missed by those closest to her and by her devoted admirers around the world."

In the 1990s, Routledge became well known for her portrayal of Hyacinth Bucket, where she insisted that her character's last name be pronounced "Bouquet," in the sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, which was written by Roy Clarke and lasted for five seasons from 1990 to 1995. It drew over 13 million viewers in its prime.

Bucket was a suburban social climber determined to project aristocratic refinement and lived like a duchess. Her plans would always fail. Along with her sister and husband Richard (Clive Swift), she stayed in a council estate and tried to impress the rich and successful.

For her role, she was nominated multiple times in 1992 and 1993 for BAFTA, and in the year 1996, she was voted as Britain's all-time favorite actress. People like Pope Benedict XVI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, all loved the series.

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Why did Dame Patricia Routledge leave the sitcom at its height?

After five years, Routledge decided to leave Keeping Up Appearances despite its success. In a documentary on BBC Four, she clarified

"I thought the writer was beginning to recycle old ideas."

The actress continued:

"And also, remembering the glorious Ronnie Barker, he always stopped when he was at the height of something, and he always left with people saying, 'Oh, aren't you doing any more?' Rather than people saying, 'Is that still on?'"

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A career beyond Keeping Up Appearances

Routledge had decades of success in theater and TV, though Hyacinth was her most famous portrayal. She also played amateur detective Hetty Wainthropp in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (1996–98), appeared in Alan Bennett's celebrated Talking Heads monologues, and had early appearances in TV shows including Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, Steptoe and Son, and Z Cars.

She received an Olivier Award for Leonard Bernstein's Candide in 1988 and a Tony Award for Darling of the Day in 1968 for her equally successful theatrical career.

Patricia Routledge also performed at the National Theatre, Broadway, West End, and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, appearing in everything from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel to Richard Sheridan's high comedies.

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More about Patricia Routledge

Katherine Patricia Routledge, who was born on 17, 1929, in Birkenhead, Merseyside. She attended Liverpool University to study English and had plans of teaching, but chose a different career path. Being the daughter of a haberdasher, she received her training at the Bristol Old Vic and was awarded an OBE in 1993, which then went on to be advanced to CBE in 2004, and was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2017.

Patricia Routledge herself never had kids and lived a happy life in Chichester. She acknowledged having relationships when she was younger, including one with a married man, but claimed that acting had taken over her life. Speaking about it to BBC News, she said:

"I didn't make a decision not to be married and not to be a mother. Life just turned out like that because my involvement in acting was so total."

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Fans mourn the versatile actress who will be remembered for years to come.

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