Who Was Alwen Hughes?
Alwen Hughes was a Welsh sculptress and jeweller who met Rolf Harris while both studied art at the University of Western Australia. The couple married in March 1958 and had a daughter, Bindi, in 1964, who later changed her name. Hughes was known for her distinctive dress sense and for having a poodle serve as a bridesmaid at her wedding.
Loyalty Through Scandal
In 2013, Harris faced 12 counts of indecent assault against underage girls, which he denied. He was convicted in 2014 and sentenced to just under six years in prison. Throughout the trial, Hughes and her daughter attended every day of the proceedings, standing by Harris despite his crimes. The couple remained married for 65 years until Harris' death in May 2023 at age 93 from neck cancer, after his release in 2017.
Alwen Hughes' Final Years and Death
Hughes died in summer 2024 at age 92, just over a year after her husband, following a stroke. She had also been battling vascular dementia and the frailties of old age. Speaking after Harris' conviction in 2014, singer Vince Hill told The Sun: "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."
Documentary Renews Interest
Prime Video's documentary Rolf Harris: Primetime Predator has recently been released, a two-part series examining how the entertainer concealed his crimes. The documentary is available to stream in the UK.
