Born in Tranmere, Merseyside, veteran actress Patricia Routledge is best known as Alan Bennett’s Irene Ruddock in Talking Heads: Lady of Letters and as Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances. Routledge has never married, has no children and has been a patron of the Beatrix Potter Society since 2012. In February 2016, this much loved radio, stage and screen great quite rightly remarked: “[The BBC] must be so desperate… All they seem to care about is sensational headlines… Remind me to switch off, please”.
Subscribe to our free once daily email newsletter here:[contact-form-7 id=”225″ title=”Contact form 1″]
Two stories to keep beside you
Dominique Dunne (1959 – 1982)
Born in Santa Monica, California and the daughter of the writer and investigate journalist Dominick Dunne and his ranching heiress wife Ellen Griffin Dunne, Dominique Dunne would likely have become an acting great.
Angela Lansbury
“An amalgam of British, Irish and American”, twice married actress Angela Lansbury was born in London and has a career that has spanned seven decades.
Readers have their say
15 comments
A national treasure. Why hasn’t she been made a dame? Instead of honouring people like Joan Collins, why not Patricia Routledge?
She is a great actress and having watched her series on Beatrix Potter, she is also a great narrator. Shame on the BBC for not having shown the series and good for Channel 4 for taking it instead. I say: Privatise the BBC. It is a pointless load of hot air and Patricia Routledge is right to urge us all to turn off.
I agree with Ethel Jones. Mrs “Bouquet” should indeed be ennobled! Miss Routledge is a person whom merits having a damehood conferred.
I agree with both of you, she’s an absolute treasure and a real legend, they don’t make them like her anymore.
The BBC seem to let actors of her class slip under the table, why they pander to the Boy Georges of the world.
Well said. Patricia Routledge vs Boy George: I know who I’d rather see on the telly.
Now that the BBC has embraced the LCD; we find that the acting profession needs to employ those who like acting ‘g’ and actink
And for those who hunger for more working class actors and less Etonian actors might read ‘ A nigger at Eton by Dillibe Onyeama
She is a icon and comedy legend.
Patricia Routledge transcends BBC & worthless ‘royal’ accolades. Patricia lives on through her diehard fans. She has embedded herself in our psyche!
So glad you are championing this National Treasure who is most deserving of a Damehood. She is a superb actress with great comic timing but also the ability to create pathos as well.
She also had a great singing voice. I saw her in the National Theatre production of Carousel – I loathe the musical but she was fantastic -the best thing in it.
They honoured Jimmy Savile and they didn’t honour Patricia Routledge. We all know what you call ‘The Club’ does and because of her idiosyncratic lifestyle they passed her over. It is a bloody disgrace.
My favourite “Mrs Bucket”quote. ” Oh hello dear I was just passing one of our telephones when it occurred to me that I hadn’t spoken to you for ever such a long time, then I couldn’t find your number because our new Mercedes outside was blocking the light”.
Would love to be at one of her candlelight suppers..
I prefer robert Redford myself. Paricia seemed a tad….hammy, no?
Ps My wife and I adored her in The Postman! (1962)!
r.i.p. prince of course
I feel a candlelight supper coming on.