Rolf Harris, disgraced entertainer convicted of sexually abusing young girls, dead at 93
- Harris, an Australian artist, presenter and musician, was one of Britain’s favourite entertainers for decades, even painting the queen and working with the Beatles
- He lived his final years in disgrace after being jailed in 2014 for a string of abuse against young girls between 1969 and 1986; he has been buried, his family say
.png?itok=arIb17P0)
The artist, presenter and musician Rolf Harris, who was one of the UK’s best-loved entertainers before he was convicted of underage-sex crimes in 2014, has died aged 93 and been buried, his family said on Tuesday.
The Australian-born Harris’s family said in a statement: “This is to confirm that Rolf Harris died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest.
“They ask that you respect their privacy. No further comment will be made.”
A registrar in Maidenhead, near his home, also confirmed Harris’s death.
The secret funeral came after British newspapers reported earlier this month that a private ambulance with blacked-out windows was spotted outside his home west of London.
Private ambulances are typically used by undertakers.
Harris once painted Queen Elizabeth, worked with The Beatles and hosted a raft of prime-time television shows in his adopted UK over the course of 60 years.
In October 2022 it was reported that he was “gravely ill” after being diagnosed with neck cancer that had left him unable to speak and requiring round-the-clock care.
Harris lived his final years in disgrace after being found guilty of a string of abuse against young girls between 1969 and 1986.
He was jailed in 2014 for five years and nine months after being convicted of 12 indecent assaults, but was released in 2017, protesting his innocence.
“It is difficult to put into words the injustice I feel,” he said in a statement to the author of a recent book about his arrest and prosecution.
His conviction came after a spate of allegations of abuse against high-profile entertainers in Britain following the death of the children’s television presenter Jimmy Savile.
Savile, who died in 2011, was found to have used his celebrity status to sexually abuse dozens of children.
As well as Harris, the police probe, Operation Yewtree, also saw the conviction of 1970s glam rocker Gary Glitter.
Entertainer Rolf Harris stripped of his Australian honours after being convicted of sexual assaults
Glitter – real name Paul Gadd – was released from prison earlier this year, halfway through a 16-year sentence for sexually abusing three schoolgirls.
But the 78-year-old rocker was returned behind bars after breaching his release conditions.
Harris broke onto UK television screens in 1953, showcasing his drawing skills honed at the City and Guilds of London Art School in South London.
He quickly became one of the country’s best-loved light entertainers.
Generations of children grew up with his art shows, and he also presented prime-time shows watched by millions.
Harris topped the music charts in the UK and Australia and appeared at the legendary Glastonbury Festival on seven occasions.
Rolf Harris' hometown moves to purge all memory of him after sex abuse conviction
He scored a hit with the 1969 single “Two Little Boys”, about two youngsters who grow up to fight in a war together, and performed his song “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” with The Beatles.
His stature was once so great that he was made a CBE in 2006 – one step below a knighthood – and even painted Queen Elizabeth’s portrait to mark her 80th birthday.
The entertainer’s conviction caused widespread shock and soul-searching in Britain.
There was also revulsion and dismay in his homeland Australia, the country he left at the age of 22 but which treated him as a national hero.
He was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame in 2008, but was removed after his conviction.
His CBE was revoked in 2015.
