Tributes paid to JRR Tolkien’s son Christopher after he dies aged 95

Christopher Tolkien, the son of The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien, has died aged 95.

Mr Tolkien helped manage the legacy of his father's literary pieces, including editing his unpublished works.

A statement released by the Tolkien Society said: "It is with great sadness that we can confirm that Tolkien’s son and literary executor Christopher Tolkien has died aged 95."

Mr Tolkien was born in Leeds on November 21, 1924, and grew up in Oxford, where his father was an English professor.

After joining the RAF in the Second World War, he became a lecturer in Old and Middle English and Old Icelandic at Oxford University.

When his father died he became literary executor of the Tolkien Estate and he remained in the role until November 2017.

Mr Tolkien was the author’s third and youngest son, and was responsible for editing and publishing much of his father’s work following his death in 1973.

These included The Silmarillion, The Children Of Hurin, and Beren And Luthien, which flesh out the complex world of elves and dwarves created by his father.

He also drew the original maps of Middle-earth which decorated the trilogy of books released in the 1950s following the success of the prequel, The Hobbit.

Tolkien Society Chair, Shaun Gunner, said: "All of us in the Tolkien Society will share in the sadness at the news of Christopher Tolkien’s death, and we send our condolences to Baillie, Simon, Adam, Rachel and the whole Tolkien family at this difficult time.

"Christopher’s commitment to his father’s works have seen dozens of publications released, and his own work as an academic in Oxford demonstrates his ability and skill as a scholar.

"Millions of people around the world will be forever grateful to Christopher for bringing us The Silmarillion, The Children of Húrin, The History of Middle-earth series and many others.

"We have lost a titan and he will be sorely missed."

Tolkien scholar Dr Dimitra Fimi added: "Tolkien studies would never be what it is today without Christopher Tolkien’s contribution.

"From editing The Silmarillion to the mammoth task of giving us the History of Middle-earth series, he revealed his father’s grand vision of a rich and complex mythology.

"He gave us a window into Tolkien’s creative process, and he provided scholarly commentary that enriched our understanding of Middle-earth.

"He was Middle-earth’s cartographer and first scholar."