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Performer Dame Patricia Routledge, best known for portraying the character Hyacinth Bucket in the classic television comedy Keeping Up Appearances, has left us at the age of 96, according to.

Additionally, she featured in monologues by Alan Bennett and played BBC One's crime-solving retiree Hetty Wainthropp Investigates.

"We mournfully announce to confirm the passing of Dame Patricia Routledge, who passed away peacefully in her sleep today with loved ones near."

"Even at 96-years old, her love for performing and for engaging with theatergoers stayed vibrant, just as younger viewers have continued to find her through her cherished TV characters."

Her agent noted: "Her absence will be deeply felt by her inner circle and by her dedicated supporters globally."

An Illustrious Career

Patricia Routledge was most famous as the character Hyacinth Bucket - with the affected pronunciation "bouquet" - a funny persona who embodied the peak of affectation and class consciousness.

"She is a wonderfully awful character and I had great fun with the role enormously," the performer remarked.

Keeping Up Appearances aired from 1990 until 1995, and soon after she was voted the nation's most popular actress at the BBC anniversary ceremony.

She also received recognition on stage as well as screen after launching her acting journey in the theater in the 1950s.

After appearances in London theater, she built a reputation in the United States when she received the Tony for best lead actress in a musical on New York theater for Darling of the Day in the late 1960s.

Her talents extended at serious drama as she was at song-and-dance and humor - she appeared in Richard III and Henry V at the prestigious theater company, then received an Olivier Award for best actress in a musical for Candide in the 1980s decade.

The 1980s also marked her rise as a television icon - receiving parts by comedian Victoria Wood in the show As Seen on TV, and Alan Bennett in his acclaimed monologue series, including 1988's A Lady of Letters, for which she earned a Bafta award nomination.

She received more award nominations, for Keeping Up Appearances, in 1992 and 93, then starred in the title role as a older lady on a quest to solve crimes in BBC One's Hetty Wainthropp Investigates between 1996 and 98.

She was honored with an OBE in the nineties, a Commander of the British Empire in 2004, and damehood in recent years.

An Enduring Impact

Via her unforgettable roles, Dame Patricia Routledge brought laughter and entertainment to audiences worldwide, establishing a rich collection of performances that will continue to be celebrated by fans into the future.