Tonight the Union Flag flies at half-mast above 10 Downing Street in London, in memory of the life of Captain Sir Tom Moore.
In a statement, issued by his daughters, Mrs Ingram-Moore and Lucy Teixeira, they said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear father.
“We are so grateful that we were with him during the last hours of his life; Hannah, Benjie and Georgia by his bedside and Lucy on FaceTime.
“We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together.
“The last year of our father’s life was nothing short of remarkable. He was rejuvenated and experienced things he’d only ever dreamed of.
“Whilst he’d been in so many hearts for just a short time, he was an incredible father and grandfather, and he will stay alive in our hearts forever.”
Capt Sir Tom was admitted to Bedford hospital on Sunday after being treated for pneumonia for some time and testing positive for Covid-19 last week.
Tributes poured in for the man who acquired the status of national treasure in his last year.
In a statement from number 10, Boris Johnson described him as “a hero in the truest sense of the word”. “In the dark days of the second world war he fought for freedom and in the face of this country’s deepest postwar crisis he united us as well, he cheered us all up and he embodied the triumph of the human spirit.”
The health secretary, Matt Hancock, described him as “a great British hero that showed the best of our country”.
The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, paid tribute to “a proud Yorkshire man. A dedicated army officer . A tireless fundraiser. And above all, an inspiration to us all.”
The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, tweeted: “Captain Tom Moore put others first at a time of national crisis and was a beacon of hope for millions. Britain has lost a hero.’’
The 100-year-old, raised almost £33m for NHS charities during last April’s lockdown after his pledge to walk 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday captured the imagination of supporters from around the world.
He also had a UK Number One hit with Michael Ball when the pair recorded You’ll Never Walk Alone.
The singer said on Twitter: “Rest in peace @captaintommoore. A wonderful life so well lived and a hero and fighter to the very end. So very very sad.
