Rolf Harris, the disgraced former entertainer – who was jailed for more than five years after being found guilty of a string of indecent assaults between 1968 and 1986 – passed away aged 93, and his cause of death has now been confirmed.
The disgraced TV star had been ‘very sick’ since leaving prison six years ago, living as a near-recluse with his wife in their £5million riverside mansion in Bray, Berkshire.
A copy of his death certificate shows that he died of ‘metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of neck’ – which is the medical term for neck cancer – as well as ‘frailty of old age’.
It’s also been confirmed that the convicted sex offender has already been ‘laid to rest’.
In a statement released by his solicitor, his family said: ‘Rolf Harris recently 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.’
The Australian sex offender lived as a virtual recluse after being freed from jail in 2017.
Writer William Merritt saw Harris in 2022 and revealed that he was ‘very sick’.
Speaking to DailyMail, Merritt shared: ‘Rolf has been very sick. When I saw him he was able to speak to me. He was with it, but he was obviously unwell.’
Merritt claimed that Harris was struggling to talk because of his cancer battle.
He said: ‘[He’s] battling a cancer of the neck, and gurgles when he talks. It’s difficult to understand him.
‘As soon as one of two people walk into the room, he turns into a big kid again. He’s an artistic type, and he’ll try to perform on cue, even when he’s unwell.’
Harris was a fixture of family entertainment in Britain and Australia before his crimes came to light.
