The awardwinning actress will join the philosopher Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve and the international accounting expert Prof Mary Barth in a ceremony in the Great Hall on December 10 presided over by the Chancellor Sir Chris Bonington.

All three are to be awarded honorary doctorates, with Patricia Routledge receiving a DLitt, Baroness O'Neill a Doctor of Laws and Prof Barth a DSc.

Born in Birkenhead, Patricia Routledge has had a prolific career in theatre on both sides of the Atlantic, winning an award for her Broadway appearance in Darling of the Day in 1968 and the Laurence Olivier award for Candide in 1989.

She achieved national fame when she featured in monologues written for her by both Alan Bennett and Victoria Wood. She first appeared in Bennett's A Woman of No Importance in 1982, and then as the opinionated Kitty in Victoria Wood As Seen On TV in 1985. She performed two further monologues in Bennett's Talking Heads in 1987 and 1998.

She is best known on TV for her role as Hyacinth Bucket in the comedy series Keeping Up Appearances and then in the popular detective series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates. She was nominated for two BAFTA TV Awards in 1992 and 1993.