Patricia Routledge Unveils Beatrix Potter’s Untold Story in New Documentary: A Fierce Legacy Reimagined
At nearly 95 years old, Dame Patricia Routledge, best known for her iconic portrayal of Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances, has embarked on a new creative journey—one that brings her full circle with a woman she reveres not only for her literary charm but for her audacious spirit. In Beatrix Potter with Patricia Routledge, a new More4 documentary, Routledge lifts the veil on the life and legacy of the legendary author and illustrator behind The Tale of Peter Rabbit, delivering a personal and powerful tribute to a woman she calls “feisty as blazes.”

That very phrase—spirited, bold, and unmistakably British—could easily describe Routledge herself. Despite approaching a milestone birthday, she shows no signs of slowing down. She took on the challenge of writing and presenting the documentary with the same fierce determination that has defined her decades-spanning career on stage and screen. The result is a richly textured exploration of Beatrix Potter, framed by the exciting revelation of a long-lost story: Kitty in Boots, a whimsical tale about a cross-dressing cat set to be released by Penguin later this year.

A Deeply Personal Connection

Though Routledge didn’t grow up reading Potter’s tales, her connection to the author is now deeply personal. “I dimly remember becoming aware of her when I was a teenager,” she recalls. “But she only really got to me in 1998, when I performed a one-woman show about her life.” The show, devised by Patrick Garland and Beatrix Potter biographer Judy Taylor, ignited a passion in Routledge that would never fade.

“She really took me over,” she says, her voice brimming with admiration. “It wasn’t just the books—though those are masterful in their simplicity and humour. It was her mind. Her independence. Her business acumen. Beatrix Potter was not just a storyteller; she was a conservationist, a feminist ahead of her time, and a woman who refused to be silenced or diminished.”

Indeed, Potter’s life was one of quiet rebellion and bold choices. Long before the word “environmentalist” became fashionable, she was putting her money where her principles were—buying up more than a dozen farms in the Lake District to protect the land she loved. These were no mere country retreats; they were working hill farms, managed by Potter herself with the same precision she brought to her illustrated pages. Upon her death, she gifted all fifteen farms and over 4,000 acres of countryside to the National Trust—a legacy still felt today.

“That, in a way, is her greatest story,” Routledge says. “It’s one that too few people know.”

A Production of Passion

Filming the documentary was no mere vanity project for Routledge. Over six weeks in the autumn, she rose before dawn each day to refine and deliver her narration—crafted herself, without the aid of an autocue. The setting? The lush, mythic landscapes of the Lake District, where Potter spent much of her life and found endless inspiration for her tales.

“We were a happy little team,” she reflects fondly. “And great loving care has been put into the result.” Even the weather cooperated—almost too well. “I was thrilled when they could finally film me standing in a proper Lake District downpour,” she adds with a twinkle in her eye.

Through windswept hills and cozy stone cottages, Routledge retraces Potter’s footsteps, both literal and literary. The documentary doesn’t merely recount dates and events—it animates a woman of substance who turned her back on Victorian expectations, who defied the publishing gatekeepers of her day, and who saw the world through a lens of both wonder and shrewd realism.

The Rediscovered Tale: Kitty in Boots

The timing of the documentary could not be more fitting. At its heart lies the discovery of a previously unpublished Potter manuscript: Kitty in Boots, a story about a black cat with a double life, once described by Potter herself as “well-behaved during the day, but inclined to go out and chase things at night.” With classic Potter charm and mischief, the tale exemplifies her enduring knack for weaving gentle satire into children’s fiction.

“The humour is all there,” says Routledge. “That twinkle in her storytelling eye. She told a good story, clearly and simply. And the illustrations—just perfection.”

The story’s rediscovery has sparked global excitement, proving that Potter’s magic still resonates. Over two million copies of her books are sold every year worldwide, a remarkable achievement in an age dominated by animated spectacles and digital distractions. Routledge believes this is no coincidence.

“They’re real stories,” she says. “Rooted in nature, in morality, in character. Children recognize that. And in Beatrix Potter, they meet someone who respects their intelligence.”

Revisiting Potter’s Cinematic Legacy

Routledge doesn’t shy away from critique either. She offers a candid take on the 2006 biopic Miss Potter, which starred Renée Zellweger in the title role. “Chocolate-box stuff, full of misinformation,” she says bluntly, though she concedes Zellweger brought an “uncomplicated freshness of personality” to the part. Still, for Routledge, Potter’s life doesn’t require cinematic embellishment.

“The truth is far more compelling,” she insists. “You don’t need to fictionalize Beatrix Potter to make her interesting. You just need to tell her story right.”

A Life of Quiet Power

Today, Routledge serves as the proud Patron of the Beatrix Potter Society, championing the educational and literary value of Potter’s work. Her personal favourite among the author’s oeuvre? “Beatrix always said hers was The Tailor of Gloucester—such a warm, redemptive story. I think mine might be Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle—I adore that bustling little washerwoman.”

As Routledge brings Potter’s legacy to a new generation through her documentary, she also reflects on the timeless nature of her subject. In Potter, she sees not just a beloved author, but a figure of resistance, innovation, and grace. A woman who paved the way not just for children’s literature, but for female independence, environmental stewardship, and artistic integrity.

“She was bold,” Routledge says with reverence. “She didn’t shout about it, but she lived it. And in doing so, she changed the world—quietly, but profoundly.”

With Beatrix Potter with Patricia Routledge, audiences are invited not just to revisit a familiar name from their childhood bookshelves, but to discover the remarkable woman behind the tales. Thanks to Routledge’s eloquence and passion, Beatrix Potter emerges as more than an author—she becomes a heroine in her own right.

And in telling her story, Routledge reminds us that some legacies aren’t written in bold headlines, but in the gentle lines of a watercolour rabbit—and the determined footsteps of the woman who gave him life.

Beatrix Potter with Patricia Routledge airs on More4 this spring. Kitty in Boots will be released later this year by Penguin Books.