The actress was best known for her role as snobby social climber Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances, the BBC comedy that ran for five seasons between 1990 and 1995.

Her agent said in a statement to the PA Media news agency:“We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of Dame Patricia Routledge, who died peacefully in her sleep this morning surrounded by love."

“Even at 96-years old, Dame Patricia's passion for her work and for connecting with live audiences never waned, just as new generations of audiences have continued to find her through her beloved television roles," the agent was quoted a saying.

Born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, UK, in February 1929, Patricia Routledge began her career as a stage actress at the Liverpool Playhouse in the early 1950s and went on to act in the West End and on Broadway, Deadline reported.

Her TV career kick-started when she began delivering monologues written by British comedy legends Alan Bennett and Victoria Wood in BBC series Talking Heads.

Routledge was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for Bennett's Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters in 1988.

She also starred in crime series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates in 1996-1998, and her most recent TV appearance was fronting a Channl 4 documentary on Beatrix Potter in 2017.

BAFTA condoled Patricia Routledge's demise, saying, "We're saddened to hear that actress Dame Patricia Routledge, best known for playing Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances, has died at 96."

"Three-time BAFTA nominated Routledge's career began in the 1950s, and she has since become a beloved star of stage and screen," the organisation said.

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