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Lady Patricia Routledge, who has died at the age of 96, made her mark on the national psyche as the snobby Mrs. Bouquet.

Insisting it was "said Bouquet," the character trampled over her patient husband and confused neighbours in the popular sitcom, one of Britain's most successful comedies in the 1990s.

Behaving like a duchess while residing in a suburb, Hyacinth's monstrous social-climbing plans were ultimately destined to collapse—while she struggled to maintain her dignity.

It was Dame Routledge's most famous part in a career that saw her win stage awards on each side of the ocean, become the lead of Alan Bennett's celebrated TV soliloquies, and star as BBC1's investigative Mrs. Wainthropp.

Early Years and Start in Acting

Katherine Pat Routledge was born in Birkenhead on 17 February 1929.

Her father was a clothier and she remembered taking cover from enemy bombs in the basement of his shop throughout the war.

She studied English at nearby the University of Liverpool and planned to teach. Rather, she entered the Liverpool Playhouse before studying at the Bristol Old Vic.

Her prosperous stage career brought her from the regions to the London theatre district, and finally to Broadway, where the composer chose her to appear in his musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 1976.

She had previously received a Tony award for her performance in Darling of the Day.

She could transition effortlessly from comedies to serious drama.

She went from Stratford-upon-Avon, appearing with the RSC and later to the London's national stage in the capital.

At the National, her lead part in the stage musical Carousel featured her performing the inspiring You'll Never Walk Alone.

She also took several supporting film roles, notably in 1967's To Sir, With Love, and the comedian's funny film Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River.

Her stage and radio work proved her range and won her accolades, but it was the small screen that gave Routledge with her most high profile roles.

TV Breakthrough and Iconic Characters

Initial television appearances included popular shows like Z Cars and Steptoe and Son.

And later, among Britain's most respected playwrights, the dramatist, wrote a set of remarkable Talking Heads TV solos for her.

Routledge conquered her initial hesitation to act his scripts and excelled as A Woman of No Importance and A Lady of Letters.

She went onto portray a lonely, middle-aged department store clerk tipped into a relationship with a kinky podiatrist in Bennett's Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet.

A humorous turn as the exaggerated Kitty on The Victoria Wood Show resulted in the development of Mrs. Bucket.

Routledge recalled being given the episodes by the author, the screenwriter—known for Last of the Summer Wine and Open All Hours.

"I had opened the pages for a while at 1 a.m. in the night," she recalled, "I went straight through and Hyacinth leapt off the page. I recognized that lady, I'd met a few of that woman."

Keeping Up Appearances aired for five series and featured four Christmas episodes.

In a film, she stated that admirers had included Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and the pontiff.

It turned into the broadcaster's most exported programme of all time and ensured Routledge was recognised as far away as Botswana.

For her performance on the sitcom, she was chosen the UK's all-time favourite actress in 1996, but after half a decade in the part, she felt it was time for a change.

"I brought it to an close," she said, "which, naturally, the BBC wasn't pleased with very much."

She thought that Roy Clarke was starting to recycle ideas and mentioned a bit of guidance from the performer, Ronnie Barker.

"He always left with audiences asking, ‘Oh, aren’t you doing any more?’ she recalled, instead of fans remarking, ‘Is that still on?’"

Subsequent Work and Private Reflections

Playing the homely but sharp sleuth in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates gave her continued success on television, but she consistently referred to the stage as "the test."

Long after she stopped appearing frequently on screen, Routledge made theatre tours both in the UK and abroad.

If interviewers asked the predictable inquiry, she requested them to write the word withdrawal since, she explained: "It's not in my vocabulary."

She did not wed or had kids, but told interviewers of a couple of great romances in her youth, one with a married man.

"I felt guilt and an sharp feeling that there would be pain," she admitted. "I suppose I convinced myself that it was acceptable for the moment as his union was not a vibrant thing."

In place of family, she devoted herself to her craft, honoring it with the talent, discipline and commitment that were consistently respected by her peers.

She was critical about the broadcaster's decision in 2016 to bring back Keeping Up Appearances, but this time set in the 1950s and starring a more youthful incarnation of her character.

Questioning the Corporation's approach of rebooting classic comedies she said, "For what reason are they attempting this kind of thing, they have to be desperate."

She had already disagreed with the BBC over their move to not commission a film she had authored about the writer Beatrix Potter (she was a supporter of the literary group), which eventually broadcast on Channel 4.

On turning 90, she persisted to reside quietly in Chichester, where she occupied herself collecting funds for the church structure.

In 2017, she became a Dame of the British honors system but—unlike her character—titles never go to her head.

Dame Routledge often stated she thanked her Northern upbringing and stable background for giving her practicality with her life and her finances.

Nonetheless, she confessed that, should any extra money arrive, she'd definitely spend it on "several bottles of champagne"—an appreciation of the better things in life that she shared with her most famous creation.

"I never was theatre-obsessed," she said. "I am not theatre-obsessed now. No one is as amazed than I am that I have, actually, devoted my career doing this."