Rolf Harris’ wife Alwen Hughes, who stood by disgraced entertainer, left huge amount in her will

Headshot of Peta Rasdien
Peta Rasdien
The Nightly
Rolf Harris arrives at Southwark Crown Court with his wife Alwen Hughes in 2014.
Rolf Harris arrives at Southwark Crown Court with his wife Alwen Hughes in 2014. Credit: Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images

Rolf Harris’ widow, who stood by the disgraced entertainer after he was exposed as a serial sex offender, left a huge sum of money in her will, it has been revealed.

Alwen Hughes died in August aged 92 — just over a year after the disgraced entertainer died of neck cancer and “frailty of old age”, according to his death certificate.

Hughes, a Welsh sculptress and jeweller who married Harris in 1958 and remained with him after he was convicted of indecent assault on young girls, died of a stroke after suffering vascular dementia.

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Her will — written in 2018, after Harris’ fall from grace — included provision for him to have a slice of her whopping $8.2 million estate, should she have died first, according to The Sun.

Given Harris died first, the bulk of the estate now goes to their daughter Ava Reeves, formerly known as Bindi, with other relatives also set to benefit.

Harris himself left a substantial estate behind, totalling $33 million, most of which was also left to Reeves.

Rolf Harris and Alwen Hughes with daughter Bindi.
Rolf Harris and Alwen Hughes with daughter Bindi. Credit: JOHN CAMPBELL/WA News

Perth-born Harris had a glittering international career across music, art and television and was considered a national treasure before it all came crashing down amid revelations he was a serial sexual abuser.

Harris was famous for songs including Tie Me Kangaroo Down and Jake the Peg and was a talented artist — painting Queen Elizabeth’s 80th birthday portrait.

Rolf Harris officially unveils his oil portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at The Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace in 2005.
Rolf Harris officially unveils his oil portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at The Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace in 2005. Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Rolf Harris was a serial sexual abuser.
Rolf Harris was a serial sexual abuser. Credit: Supplied/TheWest

Harris was 84 when a UK jury unanimously found him guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault involving victims as young as seven or eight, in July 2014.

He was sentenced to five years and nine months.

In May 2017 Harris was released from jail and in the same month was formally cleared of four unconnected historical sex offences, which he had denied.

Later that year, one of the 12 indecent assault convictions was overturned by the Court of Appeal.

— with AAP.

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