…By Lola Smith for TDPel Media.
In a statement released by their solicitors, the family of Rolf Harris confirmed that he recently passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, and has now been laid to rest.
The family requested privacy and stated that no further comments would be made.
Confirming the news, a registrar at Maidenhead Town Hall informed the PA news agency that Rolf Harris, the Australian-born TV presenter, had died at the age of 93.
For many years, Harris had been a beloved figure in the entertainment industry until his conviction for a series of indecent assaults in June 2014.
The charges against Harris included assaults on an eight-year-old autograph hunter, two girls in their early teens, and a sustained pattern of abuse against his daughter’s friend spanning over 16 years.
Despite his previous stature as an esteemed artist and musician, Harris was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison for these offenses, which occurred between 1968 and 1986.
In May 2017, Harris was acquitted of four unrelated historical sex offenses that he had denied.
However, later that same year, one of the 12 indecent assault convictions was overturned by the Court of Appeal.
Consequently, Harris was released on license from HMP Stafford on May 19, 2017, less than three years into his sentence.
At the time, Harris’s case garnered significant attention as it was one of the prominent outcomes of Operation Yewtree, a high-profile investigation into sexual offenses.
This national inquiry was established in the aftermath of revelations regarding the late DJ and entertainer Jimmy Savile’s abuses.
Following his conviction, Harris faced several repercussions.
His 2012 Bafta fellowship was revoked, and he was stripped of his CBE.
Moreover, he was also deprived of his Australian honors.
Harris had previously received an MBE in the 1960s, an OBE a decade later, and a CBE in 2006.
In 2005, he had painted a portrait for the late Queen’s 80th birthday.
Revoking an honor requires the recommendation of the Honours and Appointments Secretariat to the Forfeiture Committee, with final approval from the sovereign.