Inside Queen Camilla's Relationship With Her Siblings

It was an evening in mid-April 2014 when Mark Shand attended a charity auction hosted by Sotheby's. Linked to the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt, Mark was present as his charity — the Elephant Family — was a beneficiary. By all accounts it was a successful event, with longtime friend Diane von Furstenberg noting that it "was a moment of glory and victory" for the patron. Mark went out into the Gramercy Park area thereafter to celebrate. That's when the brother of Camilla, Queen Consort, fell on the sidewalk, hitting his head as he went down.

"He hit his head very hard, and his friends said they could hear a loud crack," a source told Page Six of Mark's accident, noting that he was still awake and could speak when emergency personnel responded. After being taken to Bellevue Hospital Center, however, Mark's condition worsened and he was placed on life support. By about noon the following day, he was pronounced dead. Mark's sudden death came as an immense shock to Camilla and the royal family, and Clarence House released a statement shortly thereafter noting her dismay over her younger brother's passing. "The Duchess, the Prince of Wales and all her family members are utterly devastated by this sudden and tragic loss," the statement read.

Von Furstenberg later said of Mark's loss, "As much as I am incredibly devastated about him having gone, I know he left in a moment of great happiness."