Carrie Fisher's family will honour her with a "moment of reflection" on her birthday.

Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher

The late star - who passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest on December 27 2016 - would have been celebrating her 61st birthday on Saturday (21.10.17), and she is still at the front of the minds of her family, including brother Todd Fisher and daughter Billie Lourd.

Todd said: "You can be sure that Billie and I will have a moment in reflection on Carrie's day."

Todd, 59, also used his sister's special day to praise her for being "an amazing inspiration" to so many people.

He added: "I remember all the great things that she said and the example that she set for so many other women. I see people almost every day that come up to me and hug me and tell me what an amazing inspiration that she was, as a survivor and a woman who stood up for what she believes in. It's amazing how many people recognised her for that.

"Carrie was truly a great example in that category - is a great survivor, a great woman who stood up for what she believed in and spoke out clearly and so articulately like nobody I ever saw."

The 'Star Wars' icon's tragic passing was made all the more difficult for her family by the death of her month Debbie Reynolds just one day later, and Todd believes there has been a "substantial change" to the planet now that the two stars are no longer here.

He said: "Certainly we are all still dealing with the difference of life here. It's a substantial change in the planet when you remove Carrie and Debbie from it. It's a huge vacuum that nobody could ever fill so you move on and you try to live your life without that presence, which, we will because we are survivors - and we were trained by Debbie.

"Debbie was clearly the matriarch, clearly the person who orchestrated large family events and reeled everybody in for decades. She was the pied piper that we all followed and she could get Carrie and myself to come from four corners of the earth, if necessary, to participate in an event. And she did!"

But Todd has praised Carrie's 25-year-old daughter Billie for dealing with the passing of her mother and grandmother "spectacularly".

He told E! News: "I think [Billie is] doing very well. She is dealing with it remarkably. I think she'll make a great role model in her time as well, having grown up around two amazing women. I think she is going to reflect that in her future."