London/IBNS, Nov. 30 -- Oscar-winning British playwright Tom Stoppard passed away at the age of 88 on Saturday, his agents said, according to media reports.

United Agents said he "died peacefully at home in Dorset, surrounded by his family."

In a statement, King Charles III and Queen Camilla said they were "deeply saddened" by the death of "one of our greatest writers." Stoppard remains one of the most celebrated and influential playwrights of the contemporary era, known for his sharp wit, intellectual depth and extraordinary range. Born Tomas Straussler in 1937 in Czechoslovakia, Stoppard spent his early years as a refugee before settling in Britain - a backdrop that would later inform the themes of exile, identity and political freedo...