Brother-in-law of Britain;s Prince Charles dies after fall in New York

USPA News - Mark Shand, the brother-in-law of Britain`s Prince Charles, died in New York City on early Wednesday after suffering a serious head injury in a fall at a Manhattan hotel, local police and the prince`s official residence confirmed. He was 62 years old.

The accident happened on early Wednesday morning after Shand, accompanied by an unidentified woman, entered the luxury Gramercy Park Hotel in Manhattan at 12:57 a.m. local time and sat at a booth in the Rose Bar. He later went outside to smoke a cigarette at approximately 2:40 a.m., said Lt. John Grimpel of the New York City Police Department. "At approximately 0240 hours, Mark Shand attempted to re-enter the hotel through the revolving doors," Grimpel explained. "Mark Shand unexpectedly fell backwards, striking his head on the pavement. The incident was also captured on the hotel`s video surveillance system." Grimpel said 911 was called at about 2:50 a.m. and Shand was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by doctor Spiros Franjof at 11:25 a.m. Britain`s royal palace confirmed Shand, the brother of Prince Charles` wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, had passed away as a result of a serious head injury he sustained during a fall. "The Duchess, The Prince of Wales and all her family members are utterly devastated by this sudden and tragic loss," Clarence House said in a statement. Shand was the chairman of conservation movement Elephant Family, which has worked for years to save the Asian elephant, secure wildlife habitats, and lobby governments and corporations to take action. "Mark Shand was a true force for conservation. He was both a legend and inspiration and above all our great friend," the organization said in a statement. The conservationist had reportedly traveled to New York to attend a Sotheby`s auction of egg sculptures decorated by leading artists to raise money for Elephant Family and underprivileged children. "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," Clarence House added.