With our deepest condolences we hear about the death of British author Mark Shand, otherwise knonw as “elephant man” the younger brother of Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, previously Camilla Parker Bowles.
Mark Shand was born on June 28, 1951 in London, England as Mark Roland Shand, to parents
Major Bruce Shand and his wife the Hon. Rosalind Maud Cubitt.
He lost his life due to a serious head injury following a fall in New York. The Daily Mirror reports that Mr Shand had been attending a charity auction at Sotherby’s in New York on the night of the fall. He was later at an after party for the event, when he stepped outside for a cigarette when he slipped and hit his head on the pavement. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
The 62-year-old travel writer and the chairman of Elephant Family, which aims to save the endangered Asian elephant from extinction in the wild; had written several books about his travels, including ‘Queen of the Elephants’ and its accompanying BBC documentary, where he shared his extraordinary travel experiences.
Clarence House confirmed with a statement that reads
“It is with deep sadness that we have to confirm that The Duchess of Cornwall’s brother, Mark Shand, has today passed away in New York.
“Mr Shand died in hospital as a result of a serious head injury which he sustained during a fall last night. The Duchess, The Prince of Wales and all her family members are utterly devastated by this sudden and tragic loss.
“Mark Shand was a man of extraordinary vitality, a tireless campaigner and conservationist whose incredible work through The Elephant Family and beyond remained his focus right up until his death.”
Elephant Family, also released a statement saying
“We have lost the head of our family”
According to his IMDb profile he was known for his work on Expedition India (2000), In the Wild (1992) and Nature (1982).
His book about the life of the first female mahout, an elephant handler won the 1996 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award and the Prix Litteraire d’Amis.
He is survived by ex-wife, former French actress Clio Goldsmith, their 19-year-old daughter Ayesha Shand and sisters Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and Annabel Elliot. Shan and Clio were married from 1999 to 2009.
He grew up in East Sussex and attended Milton Abbey in Dorset from where he was expelled. During his younger years he was a regular at infamous Studio 54. His love life included proposing to supermodel Marie Helvin which she turned down. He was also linked to Caroline Kennedy, we can see them pictured below.
Closer to his death, he was linked to Strictly Come Dancing star Nancy Dell’Olio.
Our condolences to his family.
