The actress Patricia Routledge, best known for her starring role in the TV comedy series Keeping Up Appearances, has died aged 96, her agent has said.
In a statement, Patricia Routledge's agent said: "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.
"She will be dearly missed by those closest to her and by her devoted admirers around the world."
Patricia Routledge became a household name with her hilarious performances as the unspeakably snobbish Hyacinth Bucket - pronounced 'Bouquet' - in the TV hit Keeping Up Appearances.
The show, which captivated audiences in the 1990s, attracted as many as 13 million viewers at its peak.
But her versatility - a word she did not relish because it implied, she said, "not being very good at anything" - took her career far beyond the range of TV sitcoms.
She appeared in Shakespeare and played a pensioner-turned-detective, Hetty Wainthropp, in the BBC series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates.
Katherine Patricia Routledge was born on 17 February, 1929.
She was educated at Birkenhead High School, the University of Liverpool, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and the Guildhall School of Music.
As a youngster, she was undecided between the careers of actress, singer, or teacher.
But she failed to win a scholarship to the Royal Manchester School of Music, so she gave up the idea of a singing career.
Although she studied English at Liverpool University and still intended to become a teacher, she said she felt "the tuggings of the stage".
She was taken on as an unpaid assistant stage manager by Liverpool Playhouse and after some months she was offered a job with the company at £5 a week, making her theatre debut in 1952 as Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
The young actress made her debut on a London stage in 1954.
Patricia Routledge quickly established herself as a major character actress and she became known as "the female Stan Laurel".
But up to the 1970s she was, if anything, better known on Broadway than in the UK.
She overwhelmed the New York critics with her Broadway performance in the play How's the World Treating You? and appeared there in musicals as well.
Acclaimed composer Leonard Bernstein later penned solos especially for her as she starred on Broadway in the presidential drama 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Patricia Routledge always regarded her mentor as Alistair Sim, whom she played opposite in at least two Pinero comedies.
She said: "From him I learned that comedy is instinct and that once you try to discuss why a laugh is dying you kill it stone dead."
Extensive TV work in Britain from the 1950s saw her carve out memorable roles as Queen Victoria in Victoria Regina for Granada in 1964 and as Kitty in Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV in the mid-1980s.
But she won a permanent place in viewers' affections as Hyacinth Bucket.
In 1996, a year after the show ended, she was named Britain's all-time favourite actress.
Patricia Routledge was awarded an OBE in 1993, a CBE in 2004, and was made a dame in Britain's 2017 New Year Honours.
Other accolades included an Olivier Award for her role as the Old Lady in Bernstein's operetta Candide in 1988 and a Tony Award for her part as Alice Challice in Darling of the Day in 1968.
Speaking in 2017, she said she had no favoured role from her long career on the stage, adding: "I don't do beloved roles, I've just had a wonderfully interesting time with so many roles."
Patricia Routledge never married and had no children.
She once said: "I didn't make a decision not to be married and not to be a mother. Life just turned out like that because my involvement in acting was so total."
Paying tribute, Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy, said: "We are so sad to hear of the passing of Dame Patricia Routledge. She was an actor of remarkable range, but her portrayal of Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances has to be one of the most iconic performances in British comedy.
"She took a character on the page and gave her such truth, precision, and warmth that Hyacinth became part of the national conversation; instantly recognisable, endlessly quotable, and loved around the world.
"Whatever she did, she brought impeccable craft, and in doing so inspired generations of writers, performers, and audiences.
"Dame Patricia made millions laugh and left a legacy that will always be remembered with gratitude and admiration."
Source: Press Association
