Dame Penelope Keith: The Good Life and To The Manor Born actress dies aged 86

Dame Penelope Keith, the celebrated British actress best known for playing snobbish Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life (1975) and aristocrat Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To the Manor Born (1979), died peacefully at age 86 at her Surrey home while living with cancer. The BBC article provides substantive reporting with named sources—including tributes from co-star Felicity Kendal, broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, actress Janet Suzman, and others—along with detailed career achievements (1976 Olivier Award, two BAFTA wins, 2014 damehood for services to arts and charity). The reporting is corroborated by coverage from The Guardian and Telegraph, all confirming her death at 86 and her cultural significance as one of Britain's most venerated sitcom performers; the article includes specific viewership data (To the Manor Born's 1979 finale reached nearly 24 million viewers) and career timeline spanning from Royal Shakespeare Company work in 1963 through 21st-century theatre roles. This is a straightforward, respectfully-toned obituary with strong sourcing and no reportorial gaps to monitor.