Sir Roger Moore, best known for his portrayal of the iconic James Bond character in the 007 movies in the 1970s and 1980s has died, his family confirmed on Twitter. He was 89 years old.

How did Roger Moore die? What was his cause of death?

According to Moore’s family, he died Tuesday (May 23) in Switzerland after a “short but brave battle with cancer.”

“With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today,” the actor’s family wrote on Twitter. “We are all devastated.”

TMZ reported that Moore’s children and family were all “by his side in his final days.”

The family’s full official statement reads as follows:

“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 with 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.

“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 special to so many people.”

Before his illustrious movie career, which saw him star in seven Bond movies between 1973 and 1985 after taking over the role from Sean Connery, Sir Roger served in the Royal Army Service Corps as a second lieutenant after being enlisted for national service shortly after the end of World War II.

Moore was also appointed UNICEF Ambassador in 1991 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 for “services to charity.” Additionally, Moore was appointed a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in 2008, which was also the same year he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Per Sir Roger Moore’s own wishes, his family said that there will be a private funeral in Monaco.

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