Kate Middleton And Prince William Pause Royal Tour To Remember Mark Shand

Kate Middleton and Prince William

(Image credit: Rex)

published 24 April 2014

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall have said they are 'saddened' by the death of the Duchess of Cornwall's brother, Mark Shand.

Kate Middleton and Prince William took a brief pause from their tour of Australia to release a statement following the sudden death of the Duchess of Cornwall's brother, Mark Shand.

Before they embarked on a full day of official engagements in Canberra, where William gave a speech at the Australian Federal Parliament, they took some time to say the following: 'The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were saddened to learn this morning of the tragic death of Mark Shand. Their thoughts are with The Duchess of Cornwall and her family at this time.'

Mark Shand, Camilla's younger brother, died suddenly last night after suffering a head injury in a fall as he left an after-party at the Grammercy Park Hotel's Rose Bar, New York. He died at a nearby hospital.

The Duchess of Cornwall is said to be devastated about the loss. A statement from Clarence House said: '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.'

Today, Kate and William are scheduled to participate in Anzac Day events, which remember those from New Zealand and Australia who served and died while fighting wars, on peacekeeping missions and in other forms of military involvement. Then it's back to London on Friday. See all the photos from the royal tour...