Major new honour for Chichester’s Dame Patricia Routledge

The good news comes as Dame Patricia, who was born on February 17 1929, prepares to celebrate her 93rd birthday on Thursday.

“I am to be made an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music,” she said, “and I am absolutely delighted and thrilled.

“I have done so much musical theatre in my career but a lot of people don’t know that. I have done a great deal in this country and a great deal in America.

“I won a Tony Award in America in 1968 for Darling of the Day, and I was in a musical in Los Angeles in 1968 about Queen Victoria and Albert. I also did five Julian Slade musicals in this country way, way back and then of course there was Cowardy Custard.”

The honorary membership of the Royal Academy of Music will be marked with a ceremony in July at which John Suchet will be public orator.

As for her own work plans for the future, Dame Patricia said: “I am past doing eight performances a week!

“But there are two presentations that I still do, one about the Myra Hess concerts at the National Gallery during the war and the other is a conversation with Edward Seckerson about all the musical theatre I have done called Facing The Music. We have got two or three coming up.

“I only do the work that I have got the energy to do, but I think that has always been the case!”

Dame Patricia has lived in Chichester for many years and has worked extensively at Chichester Festival Theatre where her roles have included Lady Bracknell in The Importance Of Being Earnest.