Rolf Harris has passed away at the age of 93 after a long period of ill health.
The disgraced TV star has had trouble speaking or eating and has lived as a near recluse in his £5million home in Berkshire since being released from prison in 2017 for a series of sex offenses.
But who is Rolf Harris? How did Rolf Harris become famous? Who is his wife Alwen Hughes? Did they have children together?
Read on below for everything you need to know about Rolf Harris.
Rolf Harris and his wife Alwen Hughes married each other in 1958
Who is Alwen Hughes?
Alwen Hughes was born on December 26, 1931 in North London, before growing up in Wales.
A jeweler and sculptor, she met Harris when the couple were studying at art school.
They would marry in 1958, where she reportedly made the decision to have a poodle as her maid of honor.
Harris is survived by his wife, Alwen, who is now 91 years old and confined to a wheelchair as she has been seriously ill with Alzheimer’s disease.
Prior to his death, her husband had not spoken publicly since his release from prison in 2017, but he issued a statement in William Merritt’s book Rolf Harris: The Defense Team’s Special Investigator Reveals the Truth Behind the Trials.
“I understand that we live in the post-truth era and know that few will want to know what really happened during the three criminal trials I underwent – it’s easier to judge me and compare me to people like Saville and Glitter,” Harris said.
“I was convicted of crimes I did not commit in my first trial. That is not just my opinion, but the opinion of the Court of Appeal that overturned one of my convictions. I had already served the prison sentence at the time of the appeal.
“I changed my legal team after the first trial, and I was told if the truth was out there, William (Merritt) would find it and he did.
Harris pictured with his wife Alwen Hughes and their daughter, Bindi, in 1967
“The evidence he found proved my innocence before two successive juries.
“I would be in jail serving a sentence for crimes I didn’t commit if it weren’t for William’s investigation.
“The injustice I feel is hard to put into words.”
Does Rolf Harris have children?
Harris and Hughes had one child together, a daughter named Bindi, who was born on March 10, 1964.
Bindi dropped out of art school at the age of 16 and went to work at shops such as Miss Selfridge, as well as working at a hair salon. At the age of 21, she enrolled at the University of Bristol to study fine arts.
After graduating from college, Bindi began a relationship with Malcolm Cox, a struggling artist. The couple had a son, Marlon, who was born in 1996. After splitting up with Cox, she would marry fellow artist Craig Nicholls in 2008.
When it came to her career, Bindi Harris decided to pursue similar exploits to those in which her father found his success, when she became an abstract artist.
Rolf Harris is pictured in 2003 with his daughter Bindi (center) and wife Alwen (left) in front of one of their daughter’s works entitled ‘Alchemy’
Despite living in her father’s shadow, Bindi attended art school and exhibited her pieces in a number of different galleries.
She was upset by the chemistry between Rolf and Andrea Kingston, a family friend who had moved into a converted boathouse on the property.
Bindi confided in her boyfriend, who responded by saying, “What the hell does he see in her?” How dares he? Your father is a real b******.’
Horrified, Bindi asked her boyfriend if Harris had ever touched her, to which she replied that he had been abusing her for over 16 years.
The revelation hurt Bindi so much that she destroyed some of Harris’s paintings, but she kept in touch with him.
Rolf Harris (pictured arrived at Southwark Crown Court in 2014) was found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault
Is Rolf Harris still alive?
After serving three of his five-year, nine-month sentence, Harris was released from prison on May 19, 2017. Harris died on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.
Since his release from prison, Harris has lived in his hometown of Bray, Berkshire.
The Harris family’s attorney, Daniel Burke, told MailOnline that he has had no contact with immediate family.
He said he had not spoken to Rolf’s only daughter Bindi and had no instructions to prepare or issue a statement about his ill health.
Mr Merritt told MailOnline that he had seen Harris in late 2022 and that the disgraced Australian was seriously ill.
Rolf Harris is pictured leaving the trial in which he was convicted of a number of sex offences
Who is Rolf Harris?
Born in Australia, Rolf Harris rose to fame as an entertainer and was notable for his use of various instruments, such as the didgeridoo, to enliven his performances.
He was also known for his appearances on television, as well as his artistic works as a painter, in addition to releasing 30 studio albums throughout his music career.
His single ‘Tie Me Down Kangaroo, Sport’ reached number one in Australia in 1960, while ‘Two Little Boys’ reached number one in the UK and Ireland charts in 1969.
Credited with the invention of the wobble board, Harris used the instrument to great effect in his cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” which broke into the top ten of the UK charts in 1993.
After being found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault, Harris was serving his sentence at HM Prison Stafford
What did Rolf Harris do?
In March 2013, as part of the UK police investigation into sexual abuse allegations known as Operation Yewtree, Harris was one of 12 people arrested for questioning over historic sex crime allegations.
The allegations were unrelated to the crimes committed by Jimmy Saville, with Harris maintaining his innocence at the time and subsequently being released on bail without charge.
However, in August 2013, he was arrested again as part of the operation and was found guilty of nine counts of indecent assault in the 1980s.
After a lengthy trial at Southwark Crown Court in 2014, Harris was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault and sentenced to five years in prison.
Harris was serving his sentence at HM Prison Stafford.