British actress Patricia Routledge died Friday at the age of 96. Routledge was best known for the comedy series Keeping Up Appearances , in which she played the lead role of housewife Hyacinth Bucket for many years. The series aired in the Netherlands as Schone Schijn (Stylish Appearances) .
She died peacefully in her sleep, "surrounded by love," her agent said. "Even at 96, her passion for her work and for connecting with her audience never diminished, just as new generations of audiences have continued to connect with her through her beloved television roles," his statement reads.
The character of Hyacinth Bucket is considered one of the most famous comedy characters on British television. Keeping Up Appearances ran for five seasons between 1990 and 1995 and was reportedly a favorite program of the late Queen Elizabeth.
Bucket is a snobbish, haughty woman who likes to pretend to be better than she is. It's not for nothing that she insists her name be pronounced the more sophisticated "Bouquet." She enjoys hosting candlelight suppers for the local community, who are not exactly welcoming of her
Consider neighbor Elizabeth, who becomes so nervous about Hyacinth's house rules that she often drops her expensive china, trembling. Also striking is Bucket's considerably less affluent family, led by sister Daisy and her husband Onslow, of whom Hyacinth is always embarrassed.
Routledge was one of the last surviving actors from the series. Clive Swift, who played her husband Richard, died in 2019 at the age of 82. Josephine Tewson, aka neighbor Elizabeth, died in 2022 at the age of 91. Geoffrey Hughes , known as Onslow, died in 2012 at the age of 68. Judy Cornwell (85), who played Daisy, is still alive, as is David Griffin, who played Emmett.
Patricia Routledge appeared in countless television and theater productions for over six decades, starting in the 1950s. Another well-known series featuring her is Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (1996-1998), in which she solves crimes as the title character. In that series, she starred with actor Dominic Monaghan, who visited her this summer.
