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Performer Dame Patricia Routledge, best known for playing the character Hyacinth Bucket in the beloved TV sitcom the series Keeping Up Appearances, has left us at the age of 96, according to.

Additionally, she featured in Alan Bennett's celebrated solo performances and portrayed the BBC's amateur detective Hetty Wainthropp.

"We mournfully announce to confirm the death of Dame Patricia Routledge, who died peacefully in her sleep recently with loved ones near."

"At the remarkable age of 96, her dedication to acting and for reaching out to fans never waned, just as modern audiences are still enjoying her roles through her cherished television roles."

The statement continued: "Her absence will be deeply felt by her family and friends and by her loyal fans globally."

A Life in the Spotlight

Dame Patricia was best known as 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 enjoyed playing her immensely," the star said.

The series Keeping Up Appearances aired from 1990 until 1995, and a year later she was voted the most beloved female performer at the BBC's 60th anniversary awards.

Beyond television, she earned praise both live and recorded after beginning her professional life in the stage in the 1950s.

With performances in London's West End, she made a name in the US when she was awarded the Broadway trophy for outstanding actress in a musical on Broadway for the musical Darling of the Day in 1968.

She proved equally skilled at dramatic roles as she was at musicals and comedy - she took part in Richard III and Henry V at the Royal Shakespeare Company, then received an theater prize for best actress in a musical for Candide in the 1980s decade.

The 80s also witnessed her emergence as a true national TV star - receiving parts by Victoria Wood in As Seen on TV, and Alan Bennett in his acclaimed monologue series, including her Bafta-nominated role, for which she was given a British Academy nomination.

She garnered additional Bafta nods, for her Hyacinth role, in 1992 and 1993, then took the lead in the main character as a older lady on a quest to solve crimes in the series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates between 1996 and 98.

She was honored with an OBE in the nineties, a CBE in the 2000s, and damehood in 2017.

A Lasting Legacy

Through her unforgettable roles, Dame Patricia Routledge brought laughter and delight to countless viewers, leaving behind a extensive body of work that is still enjoyed by fans into the future.