Kate Middleton, Prince William’s classmate Ben Duncan dies after fall from London rooftop bar
Socialite, reality TV star and former university classmate of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Ben Duncan, has died after falling from a rooftop bar in central London.
The 43-year-old, who studied at the University of St Andrews with Prince William and Kate Middleton, fell from the seven-storey Trafalgar St James Hotel in Westminster on the night of October 30.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers responded to concerns about a man on the roof of a building in Cockspur Street, Westminster, at 11.02pm on Thursday, October 30. The man unfortunately fell from a height.”
“Despite the best efforts of the London Ambulance Service, he was unfortunately pronounced dead at the scene,” the spokesman continued.
“His death is being treated as an unexpected but not suspicious incident.”
Duncan joined St Andrews in the early 2000s; This was around the time that Prince William and Princess Kate’s relationship was quietly gaining attention on campus.
In an interview in 2010 Daily MailDuncan thought back to that time.
“Because Will and Kate were with us, there were royal guards surrounding them,” he said.
“We knew they were successful and that something was happening, but they were left alone to carry on with this.”
People She revealed that she also attended the famous student fashion show, where Princess Kate caught the eye of Prince William in a see-through dress.
“It was the end of their junior year. I was there and there were a lot of attractive girls in person,” he recalled.
“It was a very daring dress, like a see-through stocking. She was sitting in the front row and her eyes were like stalks.”
“He passed her on the way to the podium and things were never the same again. The whole history of the monarchy had changed,” Duncan added.
After college, Duncan turned his attention to television.
He appeared in the 11th season of Big Brother in 2010, which was the programme’s last broadcast on Channel 4. She became the sixth contestant to be evicted on a series that year, won by Josie Gibson.
She later appeared in many British programs such as Come Dine With Me, Ladette to Lady and Celebrity Coach Trip. Known for his sharp sense of humor and easy charm, Duncan was a familiar face from the height of the UK’s reality television era.
Friends and colleagues paid tribute to Duncan online following the news of his death, remembering him as a witty, warm and lively person.
Publisher Mike Hollingsworth wrote on Facebook: “My dear, dear friend Benjamin (Ben) Duncan has left us. He lived life as the Peter Pan who never grew up. He will be sorely missed by his many friends who grew to love his charm, wit, infectious laugh and innate sense of style. The world is a poorer place for his passing. RIP Benji.”
Duncan’s death sent shockwaves through those who knew him both in Britain’s television circles and in the St Andrews alumni community.
She is remembered for her sense of humour, warmth and the small but enduring role she played in one of the most watched love stories in modern royal history.
