Prince William's university friend, Ben Duncan, has tragically died aged 45. The socialite, who appeared on series 11 of Big Brother, died last week after falling seven floors from the Trafalgar St James hotel. Ben was at the University of St Andrews with the Prince and Princess of Wales when they first started dating and was said to be part of their inner circle before becoming a TV personality. According to reports, Ben's body was found in Spring Gardens next to Trafalgar Square, having fallen from the roof of the building.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: "Officers responded to concerns for a man on the roof of a building in Cockspur Street, Westminster at 23:02 hours on Thursday, 30 October. The man sadly fell from a height. Despite the best efforts from the London Ambulance service, he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.‘His death is unexpected but non-suspicious."
Broadcaster Mike Hollingsworth wrote in a statement on Facebook: "My dear, dear friend Benjamin (Ben) Duncan has left us. He lived life as Peter Pan – the boy who never grew up. He will be sorely missed by his many, many friends, who grew to love his charm, his wit, his infectious laugh and his innate sense of style. The world is a poorer place for his passing. RIP Benji." Josie Gibson, who won the reality TV show the year Ben appeared on the programme, described the 45-year-old as "one of the most unique, hilariously funny, dry-witted guys I know. My heart goes out to Ben and his family. I love you Ben."
© WireImageBen's time with William and Kate
Ben previously opened up about being at St Andrew's with the future King and Queen. In 2010, he said: "Because we'd had Will and Kate in our midst, we had royal protection officers swarming the place. We knew that they had hit it off and we knew that something was happening, but they were just left alone to get on with it."
He was also in the audience at the famous fashion show that wooed Prince William. Talking about the moment, Ben explained: "It was the end of their first year. I was there, and in person, there were a lot of attractive girls. She was in a very daring dress, in a sheer stocking-like dress. He was sitting front row and his eyes were like stalks. She brushed by him on the way to the catwalk and things were never the same again - the whole history of the monarchy had been altered."
