Who was Roy Battersby? Kate Beckinsale announces stepfather's death after ‘brief illness’ at 87

British actress Kate Beckinsale's stepfather Roy Battersby passed away at the age of 87, as announced by the actress on Instagram on Tuesday, January 15, 2024. Battersby, a highly respected figure in the entertainment industry, passed away after suffering from a "brief illness" on January 10, 2024, according to People Magazine.

Battersby had reportedly been hospitalized in Los Angeles in December 2023 after suffering a massive stroke. He had also been diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2023.

According to Metro, Kate Beckinsale rushed to the hospital after the Golden Globes the night before his death on January 10, 2024. The same day, she posted a black square on Instagram, providing a hint of mourning.

Five days later, she confirmed the death of her stepfather, Roy Battersby, with a video montage and a note on Instagram.

"I have no words yet. Thank you, @katebeckinsale_slovakia2, for making this beautiful thing. I fought for you with everything I had. Oh, Roy, I am so sorry I lost." She wrote in the caption.

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Who was Roy Battersby? Reflecting on his career and untimely demise

Roy Battersby, a renowned director, made significant contributions to the world of television. He earned admiration for his vision and storytelling, and his works include Between The Lines, Inspector Morse, Cracker, and A Touch of Frost.

Battersby was born in London, England, on April 20, 1936. In the earlier days of his career, he made documentary features for the BBC programs Tomorrow's World and Towards Tomorrow, which gained significant fame.

Later, in 2005, his film Red Mercury was shown at the Montreal World Film Festival, showcasing his creative direction vision. Roy Battersby started his career in 1969 and won his first BAFTA Alan Clarke award in 1996.

Roy Battersby married Kate's mother, Judy Loe, in 1997. This was 18 years after the Serendipity actress' biological father passed away due to a heart attack.

At the time of Roy's death, Beckinsale was caring for both her stepfather and mother simultaneously. While Battersby was battling two types of cancer, Loe has been suffering from some health issues.

The day before his death, Kate Beckinsale attended the Golden Globes, and her fans praised her for her strength. She thanked her fans for their support and shared pictures from the event in a carousel post on Instagram. The last two images from the post showed Beckinsale in a hospital while still in the silver gown she had worn to the Golden Globes.

In the video montage shared by Kate, Roy Battersby can be seen narrating stories of how World War II ended when he was only nine years old. He is heard saying that they had to sleep "in a street shelter made of concrete" where they would go at night to stay safe.

"When VE Day came, it was a wonderful day because it meant that all the air raids and everything were ending, and people weren't having to leave their families and go to the war and be apart. It was a great day." He is seen recalling.

The video shows him noting that his street was called Richmond Avenue and that he lived at "number 24."

"It was a short street, but we had a big party in the street with tables and chairs and I remember it very well because we had banana sandwiches, and bananas were very difficult to get during the war because we couldn't get them across the ocean." Roy added.

Kate announced the funeral of her stepfather will be held in London (Image via Instagram/@katebeckinsale)

The actress flew to Los Angeles with Roy and Judy to look after them. In her Instagram story where she announced the news of Roy's passing, she noted that his funeral will be held in London.