Dame Patricia Routledge is famous for her gorgeous bouffant hairstyle, which she often styled into waves, becoming a recognisable aspect of her famous Hyacinth Bucket character.
However, as you can see in this incredible throwback picture, the Keeping Up Appearances star did once sport a longer style. In 1962, Patricia was appearing onstage in a production of Little Mary Sunshine, and as she sat in her dressing room, her stylish ‘do was on full display.
© Larry EllisThanks to the mirror behind the actress, you can see how while Patricia’s hair was still styled in her signature bouffant style, it now stretches all the way down her back, being tied up with a bow. A second image shows the iconic British star with her hair in curls as it flows behind her.
While the 95-year-old is best remembered for some of her television roles, she initially found fame on the stage, where she enjoyed a glittering career.
© Larry EllisPatricia won both a Tony Award and an Olivier Award. Her Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical came in 1968 for her role in Darling of the Day, while she won her Olivier Award in 1979 for And a Nightingale Sang…
The star also won a Whitbread Award in 1966 for her performance in How’s The World Treating You?
© Maximum Film / Alamy Stock PhotoKeeping Up Appearances ran for five series between 1990 and 1995, with Patricia admitting that it was her idea to end the beloved show.
Speaking on Dame Patricia Routledge Remembers…Keeping Up Appearances, the actress shared: “Well, I brought it to an end, which, of course, the BBC didn’t care for very much.
© Alastair Muir/Shutterstock“I thought the writer was beginning to recycle old ideas. And also, remembering the glorious Ronnie Barker, he always stopped when he was at the height of something and he always left with people saying, ‘Oh, aren’t you doing any more?’ Rather than people saying, ‘Is that still on?’
“That’s the place to be, really, and I had other adventures to explore. I’m an actress, and I wanted to take on the stories of other people.”
