Former Plaid Cymru leader and Senedd Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas has died at the age of 78, his family has announced.

Dafydd Elis-Thomas led Plaid between 1984 and 1991 and served as MP for Meirionydd and then Meirionydd Nant Conwy between 1974 and 1992, when he was appointed to the House of Lords.

He was the first presiding officer, or speaker, of the new Welsh Assembly when it opened in 1999.

Known for being independent minded, he later clashed with the Plaid leadership and left the party in 2016, eventually serving as a minister – though not a party member – in Carwyn Jones and Mark Drakeford’s governments.

He retired from the Senedd and front-line politics in 2021.

In a statement, his family said he died “peacefully at his home” on Friday morning following a short illness.

“The family request privacy at this difficult time.”

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said his death “will be a huge loss to Welsh politics and the civic life of Wales”.

He described Lord Elis-Thomas as “one of the most influential figures of his generation” who made a “priceless contribution in laying the firm foundations of devolution”.

“We remember Dafydd as a groundbreaking MP when he became the youngest Member of the 1974 UK Parliament before leading Plaid Cymru with passion and distinction.

“Dafydd was a personal friend to my family and I, and was an influential figure during my formative years,” ap Iorwerth said, adding that Elis-Thomas’ “love for our nation, its language and culture was unwavering”.

Former Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said he was “deeply saddened” to hear of Lord Elis-Thomas’s death.

“He was always forthright and robust when expressing his views, and for that I admired him strongly,” he added.