BREAKING NEWS: Duchess of Cornwall’s brother, 62, fighting for life after smashing head in fall outside New York club: Mark Shand in critical condition on life support
- Duchess of Cornwall’s brother slipped while smoking cigarette
- He suffered a serious head injury and was rushed to hospital
- Duchess is ‘deeply concerned’ says Clarence House spokesman
By LUCY CROSSLEY
PUBLISHED: 17:31, 23 April 2024 | UPDATED: 18:34, 23 April 2024
The Duchess of Cornwall’s brother Mark Shand, is fighting for life in a New York hospital after falling and hitting his head outside a nightclub.
Mr Shand, 62, is believed to have slipped while smoking a cigarette outside the venue after attending a charity fundraising party.
He suffered a serious head injury.
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Seriously ill: Mark Shand (right), pictured with his sister Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, is fighting for life in a New York hospital
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Compere: Auctioneer Mr Shand had been overseeing the Faberge Big Egg Hunt auction at Sotheby’s in New York
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Charity: The auction was being held to raise funds for the Elephant Family, a charity working to prevent the extinction of the endangered Asian elephant
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Auction: Mr Shand with Ruth Cowys at the event
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Charity: The auction saw a number of eggs which had been decorated by artists and celebrities including Marc Quinn
A Clarence House spokesman said: ‘The Duchess of Cornwall’s brother, Mark Shand, has been taken to a New York hospital after falling and sustaining a serious head injury.
‘The Duchess, her family and The Prince of Wales are clearly deeply concerned and are being kept closely informed.’
Prior to his fall, Mr Shand, a travel writer and auctioneer, was overseeing a Sotheby’s auction to raise funds for the Elephant Family, a charity working to prevent the extinction of the endangered Asian elephant, and Studio In A School, which raises money for children in New York City.
The auction saw a number of decorated Easter eggs, created by a number of artists, designers and celebrities including sculptor Marc Quinn, fashion house Marchesa as well as designers Ralph Lauren and Carolina Herrera with eggs going for as much as $7,000.
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Venue: The Sotheby’s New York branch, where the fundraising auction was held
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After party: Following the auction Mr Shand attended an after party at the Diamond Horseshoe nightclub near Times Square. Club organisers say he had left the party prior to his fall
It was billed as the grand finale to the Big Egg Hunt, where hundreds of the intricately decorated eggs were positioned around New York.
The prestigious event was attended by a host of ****s from the New York social scene including fashion designer Dianne von Furstenberg, a trustee of the Elephant Family, model Leigh Lezark and socialite Atlanta de Cadenet.
After the auction he is believed to have gone to an after party held at luxury nightclub Diamond Horseshoe at the Paramount Hotel near Times Square.
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Connections: Mr Shand with Princess Eugenie at another Faberge Big Egg Hunt held earlier this month (left) and in January (right). She was believed to have been in attendance at last night’s party
The party was also thought to have been attended by Princess Eugenie, who is working at auction house Paddle 8 in New York, and has been a guest at other Big Egg Hunt events, where she was photographed with Mr Shand.
Club organisers say he left the party before slipping, and it is not clear where he fell.
The party was co-hosted by concierge and ‘lifestyle management’ service Quintessentially, which was co-founded by Mr Shand and the Duchess’s nephew, Ben Elliot.
Mr Elliot’s mother Annabel is the sister of Mr Shand.
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In laws: Mr Shand with Prince Charles visit the elephant corridor at Vazhachal Forest Range in the Thrissur district of Kerala, India in November last year
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Close ties: Mr Shand and Prince Charles at a memorial service for Mr Shand’s father Major Bruce Shand at St Paul’s Church in Knightsbridge, London in September 2024
A spokesman from the New York branch of Quintessentially was unable to comment on Mr Shand’s fall at this stage.
The Duchess of Cornwall last appeared publicly at the London Book Fair on April 9.
Her next engagement engagement as announced by Clarence House is a three-day tour of Canada with Prince Charles in May.
Flying out on May 18, the pair are due to take part in events marking the centenary of World War One.
They were also set to celebrate Victoria Day, a public holiday in Canada in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday.
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Accident: Mr Shand is believed to have slipped while lighting a cigarette
FROM STUDIO 54 TO SAVING ELEPHANTS – Mark SHAND’S VERY VARIED CV
Mark Shand, 62, is a British travel writer and auctioneer.
Mr Shand, who was born on June 28, 1951, to Major Bruce Shand and his wife the Hon. Rosalind Maud Cubitt, also has a strong interest in the Hindu religion and Indian culture.
He has two sisters, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and Annabel Elliot.
He is chairman of the Elephant Family – a wildlife foundation which aims to save the endangered Asian elephant from extinction in the wild.
He founded the charity in 2024 with four partners and help from financial backers Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and Bruce ***er. Other famous ****s, including Goldie Hawn, Diane von Furstenberg, and Ben and Zac Goldsmith have all been involved at various stages.
The Duchess of Cornwall’s brother, who went to school at Milton Abbey in Dorset before being expelled, has had several books published including Travels on My Elephant and River Dog.
He has also featured in many television programmes and ********aries including the BBC’s Queen of the Elephants.
As a BBC conservationist, he authored a book ****d on the life of the first female mahout, an elephant handler, in recent times — Parbati Barua of Kaziranga. The book went on to win the 1996 Thomas **** Travel Book Award and the Prix Litteraire d’Amis.
Prior to carving out his living as a travel writer, Mr Shand tried his hand at buying and selling antiques – spending the first part of his adult life traveling the globe his friend Harry Fane – who went on to become one of London’s top vintage jewellery dealers.
He was inspired to start writing after meeting an elephant called Tara during one trip overseas. He spotted her during a trip to eastern India in 1988 and wrote about her in a best-selling book, saying the encounter changed his life forever.
After growing up in East Sussex, Shand was a regular at infamous New York night club, Studio 54, which he once said ‘reminded me of the end of the Roman Empire’.
He proposed to supermodel Marie Helvin — she described him as ‘impulsive, emotional and open-hearted, with the most beautiful **** I had ever seen’ — but she said no; and JFK’s daughter Caroline was apparently crazy about him.
Eventually he married the dark-haired, charismatic actress Cleo Goldsmith, the niece of James Goldsmith. They have a 19-year-old daughter Ayesha, but divorced in 2024.
Since then he has been discreet about his dates, although last month he denied being in a relationship with Strictly Come Dancing star Nancy Dell’Olio, the former girlfriend of ex-England football manager Sven Goran Eriksson.
While Shand owns a flat in Bayswater, London, he spends most of his time travelling.
Read more: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall’s brother Mark Shand dies after fall outside NY club | Mail Online