Prince William’s cousin found deceased at age 20
(MENAFN) Rosie Jeanne Burke Roche, a 20-year-old distant relative of Princes William and Harry, has been found dead at her family home in Wiltshire under circumstances that police have described as non-suspicious.
Her passing was initially noted in an obituary in the Yorkshire Post over the weekend, with more details emerging after an inquest was opened at the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner’s court on Monday. According to Area Coroner Grant Davies, Roche’s body was discovered by her mother and sister on July 14 as she was preparing for a trip with friends. A firearm was found near her, and police have ruled out any third-party involvement.
Davies told The Independent that the cause of death was a "traumatic head injury," which may suggest suicide, although the investigation remains ongoing. The inquest has been postponed until October 25.
Roche was the granddaughter of Edmund Hugh Burke Roche, 5th Baron Fermoy, the brother of Princess Diana’s mother, Frances Shand Kydd. This connects her to the British royal family through the Spencer-Roche bloodline. She had recently completed her first year studying English Literature at Durham University, where faculty described her as “vibrant and creative” and noted she would be “sorely missed.”
Neither Buckingham Palace nor Roche’s family has issued a public statement. Her grandfather, Edmund Roche, also died by suicide in 1984. More recently, another royal relative, Thomas Kingston — the husband of Lady Gabriella Kingston and second cousin to King Charles III — also died from a gunshot wound, with his death similarly ruled as non-suspicious.
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