Martin Luther King Jr's son has tragically died of cancer at the age of 62.

Dexter Scott King - the third of King's four children - passed away at his home in Malibu, California, on Monday.

The news was announced by the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, which Dexter served as chairman.

Alongside that, he was also president of the King estate.

Dexter Scott King was Martin Luther King Jr's third out of four children

His wife, Leah Weber King, said in a statement that he died “peacefully in his sleep.”

His older brother, Martin Luther King III, said: "The sudden shock is devastating. It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this.

"We ask for your prayers at this time for the entire King family.”

His sister Bernice King said: "Words cannot express the heart break I feel from losing another sibling."

His older brother, Martin Luther King III (right) released a statement

He was named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father first served as a pastor.

Dexter King was just seven years old when his dad was assassinated in 1968, before becoming an attorney and focusing on promoting his father's legacy and protecting the family's intellectual property.

Dexter King described the impact his father's killing had on him in his 2004 memoir, 'Growing Up King'.

He wrote: "Ever since I was seven, I've felt I must be formal.

Dexter Scott King died of cancer at the age of 62

"Formality, seriousness, certitude - all these are difficult poses to maintain, even if you're a person with perfect equilibrium, with all the drama life throws at you."

Reverend Al Sharpton said in a statement: "He turned that pain into activism, however, and dedicated his life to advancing the dream Martin and Coretta Scott King had for their children."

He added that Dexter King "left us far too soon".

A memorial service for Dexter King will be announced later, the King Centre said.