Keeping Up Appearances stars now from tragic early death to surprise royal link
It's been nearly 34 years since - sorry, Bouquet - first picked up her "white slimline telephone with automatic redial", telling the caller, "The Bouquet residence, the lady of the house speaking".
But to this day, which ran from 1990 to 1995, remains utterly, timelessly hilarious - with many viewers knowing all too well what it's like to have a Hyacinth in their life.
Theseries follows Hyacinth (played by ) - a woman from working-class origins who aspires to mingle in loftier social circles.
Try as she might. However, Hyacinth is often thwarted in her attempts to pass as upper class, no matter how many candlelight suppers she throws. And those around her, from her poorer family members to her frequently exasperated husband, don't exactly make it easy for her.
Not just a hit in Britain, the sitcom has attracted fans far and wide, including the USA, Canada, , Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Ireland, and is the most exported series of all time.
The enduring charm of Keeping Up Appearances, which ran for 44 rib-tickling episodes, of course, lies in the talented cast, who brought the characters to life in a way that continues to raise a chuckle. But what happened to the stars next?
Dame Patricia Routledge, now 95, played the iconic role of Hyacinth Bucket throughout the run of Keeping Up Appearances, creating an icon for the ages.
Despite the enormous success of her character, Patricia decided to retire from acting after the final episode wrapped. Before she retired, Patricia had a sparkling career. She played an amateur detective in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates and starred in the dramatic monologue BBC series Talking Heads by playwright Alan Bennett.
In 2017, Patricia was honoured for her services to entertainment and charity. Queen Elizabeth II awarded her a Damehood. In 2022, she received another honour when she was given honorary membership for the Royal Academy of Music at a special service at London's Freemason Hall.
Patricia looked back on her time in Keeping Up Appearances during a special programme to celebrate its 30th anniversary. She remembered the moment she realised she had become famous.
"I don't know when the moment hit me that we were rather successful, but the taxi drivers quite often would say something like, 'You're not going to tell me how to drive this, are you?'" she said. "We were one of the Queen Mother's favourite sitcoms, which was lovely to know. And [ Queen Elizabeth II ] enjoyed it too. Hyacinth would have been flattered beyond words."
In February 2024, Patricia got another Royal seal of approval. She was seen at an event with and other drama dames to celebrate 400 years of Shakespeare. The actress was beaming as she sat next to the Queen at the grand event, which was also attended by Dames Vanessa Redgrave, Judi Dench, and Joanna Lumley.
Richard Bucket - Clive SwiftHyacinth's long-suffering husband, Richard Bucket (Clive Swift), was much more grounded than his social-climbing wife, once declaring, "It was always 'Bucket' until I met you!"
Clive starred in many other TV shows over the years, including , Peak Practice and The Old Guys. Sadly, the much-loved Royal Shakespeare Company thespian passed away in 2019 at the age of 82. He left behind his three children, one of whom is Gardener's World presenter Joe Swift.
In a poignant statement made after his death, onscreen wife Patricia said: "Clive was a skillful and inventive actor with wide experience, as his successful career proved."I so much admire what he brought to the barely sketched role of Hyacinth's husband and treasure the memories of our happy collaboration."
The Buckets' anxious neighbour, Elizabeth 'Liz' Warden, played by actress Josephine Towson also helped make the sitcom memorable, with her nervous habit of breaking Hyacinth's prized china. Comedy icon Josephine, who also played Miss Lucinda Davenport in the Yorkshire-based sitcom Last of the Summer Wine from 2003 to 2010.
She went on to perform a one-woman show called Still Keeping Up Appearances, a nod to her earlier success, from 2012 right up until her retirement in 2019. In 2015, Josephine spoke about her time working on Keeping Up Appearance during an interview with including her relationship with star of the show, Patricia.
RADA grad Josephine revealed: "I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of her, but nevertheless, she's very professional and absolutely marvellous to work with." Josephine passed away in August 2022, aged 91.
Another lesser-known character in the series was Elizabeth's brother Emmet, played by David Griffin after joining the cast in season two.
David, who played the role in Keeping Up Appearances, later toured with Su Pollard in The Good Sex Guide and worked in various pantomime productions around the country. Now 81, David is rarely seen onscreen and not much is known about his private life, except that he is happily married to his French wife.
Onslow, Hyacinth's work-shy brother-in-law, was a constant annoyance to the would-be aristocrat's social-climbing ambitions, being her polar opposite. Portrayed by Geoffrey Hughes, Onslow was series creator Roy Clarke's favourite character - even though Hyacinth would likely beg to differ.
Although best known for his role in Keeping Up Appearances, Geoffrey also starred as Vernon Scripps in Heartbeat and Twiggy in The Royle Family. Sadly, after battling prostate cancer in the 1990s and retiring from acting due to a relapse in 2010, he passed away in 2012 at the age of 68.
Daisy, Onslow's wife and Hyacinth's sister, was played by Judy Cornwell. Unlike her snobbish sister, Daisy was more easygoing and appreciated the simple things in life, leading Hyacinth to often consider her "lower class". After the series, Judy starred in other popular TV shows like Midsomer Murders and Birds of a Feather. However, her most memorable role has to be playing Heather Trott's mum Queenie in the BBC soap .
In addition to acting, Judy, now 84, has also shown her talent as a writer, having penned several popular novels during her career, including Cow and Cow Parsley (1985), Fishcakes at the Ritz (1989), The Seventh Sunrise (1994), and Fear and Favour (1996).
Rose - Shirley StelfoxAnother well-known face in the show is Shirley Stelfox, who famously portrayed Hyacinth's romance-obsessed sister Rose, before Mary Millar took over the role.
Even though her stint on the show was short, Shirley was no stranger to TV, having appeared in Brookside, EastEnders and Family Affairs over the years. However, her most recognised role was in where she played the iconic character Edna Birch for fifteen years, from 2000 to 2015.
Sadly, Shirley passed away in 2015 at the age of 74, just a few weeks after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
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