Rolf Harris' doting wife in 'terrible state' amid health battles
Twisted TV presenter Rolf Harris reportedly spent his final days as a recluse, receiving around-the-clock care from nurses as he struggled with grave health problems.
The former star of Rolf's Cartoon Club, who died at the age of 93, was a family favourite for decades, fronting a number of hit kids' shows before he was convicted of child sex offences. But his doting wife, Alwen Hughes, stood by her husband when he was sentenced to five years and nine months in jail for 12 indecent assaults on four underage girls between 1968 and 1986.
He was released from prison in 2017 – part-way through a re-trial on four accusations of indecent assault. In November 2017, he appeared at the Court of Appeal in London to try and overturn his convictions and had one overturned. However, the other 11 convictions remain.
Rolf Harris arriving with daughter Bindi (left), wife Alwen at Southwark Crown Court, London in 2014 (PA)After a jury failed to reach a verdict during a retrial against Harris, the Tie Me Kangaroo Down singer's solicitor read a statement from him saying: "Whilst I am pleased that this is finally over, I feel no sense of victory - just relief. I am 87 years old, my wife is in ill health and we simply want to spend our remaining time together."
Following his release from prison, he was believed to have returned to his multi-million-pound estate in Berkshire where he lived with Alwen, who has reportedly been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Here we take a look at the wife who stood by the shamed Australian entertainer...
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Who is Rolf Harris' wife?
A picture of Rolf Harris, wife Alwen and their daughter Bindi in 1967 (Popperfoto)Alwen Hughes was born on December 26, 1931 in north London. The 91-year-old is said to have grown up in Wales. Alwen, a jeweller and sculptor, met Harris at art school, with the pair marrying in 1958.
She is known for her taste in eccentric clothing and it was apparently her decision to have a poodle as a bridesmaid. The couple's affection for the dog breed has long continued, with Harris' health said to have taken a turn for the worse after the death of their beloved poodle last year.
The couple share one daughter Bindi, 58, and the family of three arrived at Southwark Crown Court together every day during Harris' first eight-week trial in 2014. Alwen stuck by her disgraced husband throughout the proceedings and his subsequent jail term. Harris was convicted of 12 sex attacks on girls as young as seven over a 40-year period, and was handed a jail sentence of just under six years.
Rolf Harris and his wife Alwen pictured before his conviction (PA)
Rolf and Alwen attend a reception for the Centenary of Australian Diplomatic Representation in London on February 18, 2010 (AFP/Getty Images)The television personality, who presented shows such as Animal Hospital and Rolf's Cartoon Club, was released on licence in May 2017, having served half his sentence. He reportedly lived back at the home he shared with his wife in Berkshire for the past six decades, and was said to be too ill to leave the property.
Following his death, his final conversation with their daughter Bindi was made public, with Harris saying: "I always believed we would go on longer together but, if I go first, promise you'll take good care of your mum." His wife has been pictured in a wheelchair in recent years and, as confirmed by Harris' statement in 2017, is in ill health. The latest reports suggest she is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Speaking shortly after Harris' conviction, singer Vince Hill said Harris was the sole carer of Alwen, who - then aged 82 - he described as being "in a terrible state". Hill, then 77, told The Sunday People in 2014: "Alwen is very poorly. We’re all very worried about her.
"I don't know if she will survive his prison term. She's quite fragile. She suffers from arthritis and she's had hip-replacements and God knows what." Harris' daughter Bindi was, according to Hill, worried her mother could "drop down dead from the stress of the trial" at the time. In recent times, it has been reported that Alwen, who lives with dementia, is unaware that the convicted paedophile has in fact died.
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