Actress Dame Penelope Keith's family shared the sad news that the To The Manor Born star died on Monday.
The 86-year-old thespian, best known for playing Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life, passed away "peacefully" after a cancer diagnosis, her family says.
© Getty ImagesA statement issued on Monday on behalf of her family read: "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."
They continued: "The family is grateful for the care and support she received throughout her treatments, and asks that their privacy be respected at this time."
Penelope Keith's private life and career
Dame Penelope started her career on the stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963, but became a household name for her work in sitcoms. She won a BAFTA in 1977 for playing Margo.
After shooting to stardom in the late 1970s, Penelope Keith opted to stay out of the limelight, living a quiet life with her husband, Rodney Timson, and their adopted sons.
© Getty ImagesIn 1978, the actress moved to the 17th-century Mousehill Manor in Milford, Surrey, where she lived until she died.
The family also owned a holiday home in Scotland, which they travelled to and from "in a Bentley", according to a separate interview she conducted with The Times.
She was made a dame in 2014 for services to the arts and charity.
© Getty ImagesPenelope Keith's marriage to Rodney Timson
© WireImagePenelope and her husband met in 1976, while she was performing in a theatre in Chichester.
At the time, Rodney was a twice-divorced policeman and was carrying out security checks for the play. Six months later, the pair tied the knot and soon adopted two young brothers, about whom Penelope never spoke publicly.
Of her marriage to Rodney, The Good Life star said in 2010: "We've been married 33 years, and they all said we wouldn't last. He likes looking after me, and I enjoy that."
Penelope Keith's quiet life and royal connections
The TV legend was known to be green-fingered, having once described herself as "a gardener who acts", telling The Lady: "Margo didn't like gardening, but I get my hands dirty; very dirty. I find gardening very relaxing. It's my passion."
She even insisted that making "homemade marmalade" from their produce is the secret to her happy marriage with Rodney.
When not gardening at home, Dame Penelope shared a close relationship with the royal family, performing a reading in honour of Queen Camilla's 75th birthday.
© Getty ImagesThe Dame and her husband also attended the funeral of the Duchess of Kent in September 2025.
© Getty ImagesSee Penelope's charming interactions with the royals below...
© Getty ImagesDame Penelope and Queen Camilla in 2024
© Getty ImagesDame Penelope with HRH King Charles in 2024
© PA Images via Getty ImagesPenelope Keith with Sarah Ferguson at the memorial for Ronnie Corbett in 2017
© Corbis via Getty ImagesDame Penelope with the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2002
© WireImageKing Charles and Dame Penelope sharing a joke in 2007
Our thoughts are with the Dame's family at this time.
