Dame Penelope Keith, star of The Good Life and To The Manor Born, has died at the age of 86 after a battle with cancer.
“We are deeply saddened to announce that Dame Penelope Keith died peacefully whilst living with cancer at her home in Surrey where she had lived for more than 50 years,” her family wrote in a statement on Monday.
The actress, one of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite performers, was best known for her roles in iconic British sitcoms, most famously as Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life, a role that earned her a BAFTA award in 1977.
The actress also starred in shows such as To The Manor Born, Executive Stress, No Job For A Lady, and Next Of Kin, receiving another BAFTA for her role in The Norman Conquests.
Keith, who began her career in theater, also enjoyed great success beyond her iconic TV roles. She won the 1976 Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for her role in the play Donkeys’ Years and also had popular stints in advertising, with her commercial for the Parker Pen Company selected as one of the 100 greatest adverts for the British television program of the same name.
Keith had a close relationship with the Queen, who took a special liking to her. She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire by Elizabeth II in 2014 and toured the queen’s official residences for the documentary series Penelope Keith at Her Majesty’s Service.
News of Keith’s death rocked the community of British creatives, with The Good Life co-star Felicity Kendal writing in a tribute, “I am deeply saddened to hear of my friend Penelope’s death,” referring to her as a “comic genius” who was a “joy to know and work with.”
Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth remembered Keith as “such a special lady – a wonderful actress, a real friend, so funny, so generous with the time she gave to good causes.”
Former Great British Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins called her a “queen, legend, icon” who was the “Creator of some of the greatest sitcom characters of all time” in an Instagram post.
She is survived by her husband, former police detective Roger Timson, to whom she has been married since 1978, as well as their two adopted sons.
