Dame Patricia Routledge remembered at poignant Chichester Cathedral funeral
Chichester and the wider world of entertainment said the fondest of farewells to star of stage and screen Dame Patricia Routledge at a poignant funeral service in Chichester Cathedral.
The Cathedral, where Dame Patricia worshipped for so many years, was her choice of location, just as every element of the service was carefully selected by her.
With hundreds of people in attendance, the service expressed sadness at her passing but also delivered a heart-felt celebration of her character, her achievements and her generosity; it dwelt on her huge contribution to Chichester, her deep belief in community and also her quiet but substantial philanthropy, offering significant support to good causes which will continue after her passing through her Foundation.
Dame Patricia’s body was moved to the Cathedral the night before the funeral service which was taken by the Very Reverend Dr Edward Dowler, Dean of Chichester. It included a fond and fulsome tribute by the Very Rev Nicholas Frayling, who was Dean of Chichester from 2002-2014. Prayers were led by the Reverend Canon David Nason, a close friend of Dame Patricia’s over many years.
Dr Dowler welcomed everybody to the Cathedral for the funeral of “our dear friend”: “Today we come to give thanks for Patricia, for her long life and her many achievements most notoriously on stage and screen but also in more hidden ways, in her love and concern for family and friends and for her commitment to many causes that strengthened and gave life to others. We come also to pray for her and in this Cathedral church, where she worshipped for many years, to commend her to God’s merciful keeping in the hope of the resurrection.”
The service included an extract from William Blake’s Auguries of Innocence and an expanded Cathedral choir singing For The Beauty of the Earth (John Rutter). The congregation sang hymns including All My Hope on God is Founded and O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go. Music by Bach and Edward Elgar also featured.
After the Cathedral service, a short service at Chichester Crematorium concluded with the playing of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong.
Dame Patricia, who died on October 3 at the age of 96, lived in Chichester for 25 years.
She was thrilled earlier this year when the cathedral bells rang out for her birthday.
Dame Patricia was perhaps best known for her television roles including Keeping Up Appearances, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates and Talking Heads but she was proudest of a remarkable career on the stage, at Chichester Festival Theatre in particular.
Patricia Routledge's Chichester roles included: the Mother-in-Law in The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Agatha Posket in The Magistrate (also West End) and Lady Fidget in The Country Wife (1969); Georgiana Tidman in Dandy Dick (also West End, 1973); Made in Heaven and Emilia in Othello (1975); Come for the Ride (one woman show, 1989); Peggy Schofield in A Woman of No Importance and Miss Ruddock in A Lady of Letters (both Talking Heads, 1991); Mrs Malaprop in The Rivals (also West End) and Miss Dyott in The Schoolmistress (1994); Beatrix Potter in Beatrix (also UK tour, 1996); Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest (also Theatre Royal Haymarket, Australian tour, Savoy, 1999); The Duchess in Wild Orchids (2002); Miss Protheroe/Doreen in Office Suite (also UK tour, 2007); and Admission: One Shilling and Facing the Music.