Sir Roger Moore dead aged 89 after legendary James Bond actor loses a ‘short but brave’ battle against cancer

In a statement from his family, they added: "It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle with cancer.

"The love which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone.

"We know our own love and admiration will be magnified many times over, across the world, by people who knew him for his films, his television shows, and his passionate work for UNICEF which he considered to be his greatest achievement.

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"The affection our father felt whenever he walked on to a stage or in front of a camera buoyed him hugely and kept him busy working into his 90th year, through to his last appearance in November 2016 on stage at London's Royal Festival Hall.

"The capacity crowd cheered him on and off stage, shaking the very foundations of the building just a short distance from where he was born.

"Thank you Pops for being you, and for being so very special to so many people.

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"Our thoughts must now turn to supporting Kristina at this difficult time, and in accordance with our father's wishes there will be a private funeral in Monaco."

The statement was signed off by his three children Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian Moore.

Tributes to Sir Roger have been led by The James Bond International Fan Club, which has said "nobody did Bond better".

A statement from the club read: "Sir Roger will always be remembered as the most enduring actor to play 007 and as a great ambassador for the franchise.

"From his announcement as Sean Connery's replacement in August 1972 to his retirement in December 1985, he thrilled and charmed a whole new generation of Bond fans and redefined the series.

"Arguably the greatest purveyor of Cool Britannia before the term had been invented, he kept the British end up as his reign as 007 saw Bond through the 1977 Silver Jubilee and national resurgence in the 1980s.

"He was the Bond not only of his generation but the Daniel Craig generation by keeping Ian Fleming's gentleman spy alive when people thought his best days were over.

"We are all sad at the passing of a great British icon. Nobody did Bond better."

Actor Russell Crowe took to Twitter simply saying: "Roger Moore, loved him."

Sir Roger’s good friend Michael Ball tweeted: “My dearest uncle Roger has passed on. What a sad, sad day this is. Loved the bones of him. Generous, funny, beautiful and kind.”

Piers Morgan told his online following: “As if today wasn't already sad enough. RIP Sir Roger Moore, 89. A wonderful actor & lovely man.”

And on hearing of his passing, Mia Farrow said: “Few are as kind and giving as was Roger Moore.

“Loving thoughts with his family and friends. He will be missed too by UNICEF.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber told his Twitter followers: “Farewell dearest Roger. All our love, Andrew and Madeleine.”

Film Director Edgar Wright tweeted: “RIP Sir Roger Moore. My first Bond and one of the first actors that I loved as a kid. And a lovely, funny, warm person to boot. Farewell.”

David Walliams said: “Thank you @sirrogermoore Every time you appeared on screen from childhood to adulthood you never failed to bring a smile to my face.”

Duncan Banntyne told his 855,000 Twitter followers: “So sad to hear of the death of Sir Roger Moore, a great ambassador for UNICEF & all round great guy RIP.”

While Boy George tweeted: “R.I.P Sir Roger Moore. He was the king of cool.”

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Moore was the third actor to play James Bond after Sean Connery and George Lazenby, making his debut as 007 in Live And Let Die in 1973.

His final outing as the spy was in the 1985 movie A View To A Kill, when he was 57-years-old.

He was born the son of a poor London policeman from the back streets of Lambeth but would rise to become one of the most recognisable faces in the world.

The Saint was his first outing as a lovable rogue where he played a Robin Hood like criminal named Simon Templar.

The long-running TV hit showed him as an enigmatic action hero who helps put wealthy crooks in jail while absconding with their fortunes.

By the time the series, which also aired in the United States, ended in 1969, his partnership with its producers had made him a wealthy man.

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Such success followed a Time magazine review of one of his earliest films, 1956's "Diane," in which his performance opposite Lana Turner was dismissed as that of "a lump of English roast beef."

And in later life, shocked by the poverty he saw in India, Moore became a goodwill ambassador for Unicef, the United Nations' children's fund.

More than a billion people saw him play Bond, making him one of the best-known British actors in the world.

He brought a casual air of dashing elegance, sophistication and a surprising iron streak of ruthlessness to his two most famous roles.

At 6ft 2in with pale blue eyes and fair hair, his debonair good looks were ideal for heroic roles.

Despite having been criticised somewhat throughout his decades-long career for having a lack of depth, Sir Roger remained self-deprecating.

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He once said he could not act "in the Olivier sense", although he described himself as a good technician.

As 007 he would star in: Live And Let Die, The Man With The Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and A View To A Kill.

Along with Bond films Sir Roger appeared in movies such as The Cannonball Run, Spice World, and The Man Who Wouldn't Die.

Off screen, he was respected for his charity work, and in 1999 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 2003.

His knighthood was given for his humanitarian work, his main focus for many of his final years.

At the time, he said the citation "meant far more to me than if I had got it for acting ... I was proud because I received it on behalf of Unicef as a whole and for all it has achieved over the years".

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Sir Roger was the longest-serving actor to play the womanising MI6 agent, having portrayed 007 in seven films.

During his final years he lived with his fourth wife Kristina Tholstrup in Monaco.

Last year during a question-and-answer session at London's Southbank Centre, he admitted that, despite winning the coveted role of the martini-swirling spy, one part he wished he had landed was Lawrence of Arabia.

He said: "I remember Bob Baker and I going to see Lawrence of Arabia and coming out both being very depressed and saying 'We might as well give up the business', because they had made the best movie that had ever been made."

The debonair star, who added a distinct light-hearted touch to the 007 role, also admitted that, while he thought Sir Sean Connery had been the greatest Bond, fans were "lucky" to have the current star of the franchise, Daniel Craig.

He said: "I think that Sean was obviously the great Bond.

"He was obviously the right person, he brought the right personality to the performance, otherwise Bond would not have gone on past the first six that he did. He was a tremendous Bond.

"Today, I think we're very lucky to have Daniel Craig because he is quite extraordinary. I always say that Sean looked like a killer - but Daniel Craig would finish it off.

"When I saw Casino Royale, I thought that Daniel Craig did more action in the first seven minutes than I did in seven movies."

While arguably best known for his role as 007, Sir Roger will also be remembered for his work in TV's The Saint in the 1960s.

He once joked of his role as Simon Templar in the spy thriller series, which he also produced: "When I was doing The Saint on television I had two expressions; as Bond I've managed to work up to four."