Patricia Routledge Biography
Patricia Routledge was a beloved English actress and singer whose remarkable career spanned over six decades, gracing the stage, film, and television. She became a household name thanks to her unforgettable role as the socially ambitious Hyacinth Bucket in the BBC One sitcom Keeping Up Appearances (1990–1995). This iconic character not only earned her two BAFTA TV Award nominations for Best Light Entertainment Performance but also secured her a cherished spot in the annals of British television history.
Routledge kicked off her professional acting journey at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1952 and made her West End debut in 1959. Her incredible talent soon took her across the pond, where she made her Broadway debut in 1966. In 1968, she snagged the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her stunning performance in Darling of the Day. A couple of decades later, in 1988, she received the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her celebrated role in Candide at The Old Vic. Her filmography includes memorable roles in To Sir, with Love (1967) and Don’t Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (1968).
The 1980s saw Routledge enjoying a resurgence in popularity, thanks to a series of brilliantly crafted television monologues by Alan Bennett and Victoria Wood. She graced the screen in Bennett’s A Woman of No Importance (1982) and portrayed Kitty in Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV (1985–1986). Her performance in Bennett’s Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters (1988) earned her a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Actress. Additionally, she starred as the warm and insightful title character in the mystery series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, which aired in 1990 and later from 1996 to 1998.
In recognition of her exceptional contributions to theatre and her charitable endeavors, Patricia Routledge was honored with the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2017.
Patricia Routledge Death
Patricia Routledge passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 3, 2025, at the age of 96, in her home in Chichester. Her funeral service took place at Chichester Cathedral on November 5, 2025, followed by her cremation at Chichester Crematorium.
Patricia Routledge Career
Routledge began her performing career in the United Kingdom and the United States, primarily in musical theatre. She has been a long-time member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), appearing in many notable performances, including Antony Sher’s title role in Richard III in 1983. Little Cowardy Custard, Mary Sunshine, Noises Off, Virtue in Danger, The Solid Gold Cadillac, and The Importance of Being Earnest are among her West End credits, as are many less successful productions. For her performance in And a Nightingale Sang in 1979, she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
She initially appeared on Broadway in Roger Milner’s outlandish comedy ‘How’s the World Treating You?’ in 1966, and then again in the short-lived 1968 musical Darling of the Day, for which she shared the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical with Leslie Uggams of ‘Hallelujah, Baby!’. Her portrayal of the Old Lady in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide in the London cast of the critically acclaimed Scottish Opera production earned her a Laurence Olivier Award in 1988.
Routledge’s radio credits include numerous Alan Bennett plays and the BBC dramatization of Carole Hayman’s Ladies of Letters, in which she and Prunella Scales play elderly women exchanging amusing correspondence over the years. In 2009, BBC Radio 4 broadcasted the tenth season of Ladies of Letters.
Private Lives, Present Laughter, The Cherry Orchard, Romeo and Juliet, Alice in Wonderland, and The Fountain Overflows were among his radio credits before 1985. Routledge, who has a distinct voice, has recorded and released some audiobooks, including unabridged readings of Wuthering Heights and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as well as abridged novelizations of the Hetty Wainthropp series. Routledge is an ambassador for the charity Royal Voluntary Service, previously known as WRVS. Related: Erika Stanish
Patricia Routledge Age
How old is Patricia? She died at the age of 96 in 2025, She was born on 17 February 1929, in Tranmere, United Kingdom. she celebrates her birthday on 17 February every year.
Patricia Routledge Education
She went to Mersey Park Primary School, Birkenhead High School, and the University of Liverpool, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature with honors. Routledge was awarded a Doctor of Letters by Lancaster University in 2008 for her contributions to drama and theatre.
Patricia Routledge Nationality | Ethnicity
What ethnicity is She? She belongs to the white ethnicity/heritage, Patricia was born and raised in Tranmere, United Kingdom, and she holds British nationality.
Patricia Routledge Height
How tall is Patricia? The English actress stands at a height of 5′ 5″ (1.65 m) tall.
Patricia Routledge Family | Parents
Routledge was born in Tranmere, Birkenhead, Cheshire, daughter to her mother Catherine Routledge, and father Isaac Routledge a haberdasher. Throughout the Second World War, the family lived in the basement of his shop for weeks at a time; near Liverpool.
Patricia Routledge Husband | Married
Who was Patricia Routledge’s partner? Routledge has never married and has no children. If she has any relationships, it has not been made public.
Patricia Routledge Net Worth
Routledge is estimated to have a net worth of about $2.5 million.
Patricia Routledge TV Shows and Movies
MOVIES
- 1967 – To Sir, with Love
- 1967 – Pretty Polly / A Matter of Innocence
- 1967 – Don’t Raise the Bridge, Lower the River
- 1968 – 30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia
- 1968 – The Bliss of Mrs Blossom
- 1969 – Lock Up Your Daughters
- 1969 – If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium
- 1971 – Girl Stroke Boy
TV SHOWS
- 1959 – ITV Play of the Week
- 1960 – The Terrible Choice
- 1961 – Hilda Lessways
- 1961 – Coronation Street
- 1962 – Z-Cars
- 1964 – Victoria Regina
- 1965 – Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life
- 1965 – No Hiding Place
- 1965 – Gaslight Theatre
- 1956–66 – ITV Play of the Week
- 1966 – Eamonn Andrews Show
- 1967 – Thirty-Minute Theatre –
- 1967 – Seven Deadly Sins
- 1967 – Androcles and the Lion
- 1968 – The Ed Sullivan Show
- 1969 – ITV Saturday Night Theatre
- 1970 – Egghead’s Robot
- 1961–70 – Armchair Theatre
- 1970 – ITV Playhouse
- 1971 – Sense and Sensibility
- 1971 – Doctor at Large
- 1971 – Play of the Month: Tartuffe
- 1971 – Vincent Price Is in the Country
- 1972 – His and Hers
- 1973 – Ooh La La!
- 1973 – That’s Life
- 1974 – Affairs of the Heart
- 1974 – Steptoe and Son
- 1974 – …And Mother Makes Five
- 1974 – David Copperfield
- 1975 – More Awkward Customers
- 1971–75 – Play of the Month: When We Are Married
- 1977 – Nicholas Nickleby
- 1977 – Jubilee
- 1977 – The Cost of Loving
- 1978 – BBC2 Play of the Week
- 1978 – Doris and Doreen
- 1979 – Crown Court
- 1980 – The Pirates of Penzance
- 1980 – Play for Today
- 1980 – The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb
- 1982 – Objects of Affection
- 1983 – The Beggar’s Opera
- 1983 – Keep Off the Grass
- 1983 – The Two Ronnies
- 1984 – Home Video
- 1985 – Marjorie and Men
- 1985–86 – Victoria Wood as Seen on TV
- 1987 – When We Are Married
- 1988 – Tales of the Unexpected
- 1988 – Talking Heads
- 1988 – Sophia and Constance
- 1989 – First and Last
- 1989 – Let’s Face the Music
- 1990 – Missing Persons
- 1990 – Alas Smith and Jones
- 1991 – Miss Pym’s Day Out
- 1993 – The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends
- 1994 – Hildegard of Bingen
- 1990–95 – Keeping Up Appearances
- 1997 – Heroes of Comedy
- 1996–98 – Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
- 1998 – Talking Heads 2
