On Thursday, his children — Justine, Emma, and Paul Hardy — released a statement to The Guardian, BBC News, and The Telegraph announcing his death. “Gruff, elegant, twinkly, and always dignified, he is celebrated by all who knew him and loved him, and everyone who enjoyed his work,” they wrote. They noted that on top of his well-known acting work, Hardy was also “a meticulous linguist, a fine artist, a lover of music and a champion of literature, as well a highly respected historian, and a leading specialist on the longbow.”