A wealthy elderly man lost his life after falling from his bedroom window while letting his cat out, his girlfriend shared on Tuesday.
The 98-year-old 8th Marquess of Ailesbury fell after hitting his head on the concrete patio below.
Michael Brudenell-Bruce was found in a pool of blood by his girlfriend of over 30 years. He was related to Florence Brudenell-Bruce, who previously dated Prince Harry.
According to 88-year-old author Teresa Marshall de Paoli, he likely fell while trying to open the window to free Honeybun, the cat that was stuck.
“It was a tragic accident,” she recounted. He was covered in blood. “Oh, my dear, what happened?” I asked, but he had already passed away.
The marquess, an Eton alumnus, was declared dead by emergency crews who responded to the scene in Shepherd’s Bush, West London. The coroner has been notified of his passing.
Teresa’s home was treated as a “crime scene” yesterday, though she was not arrested.
She eventually had the chance to say her goodbyes and apply his favorite aftershave to his body.
Teresa mentioned that when they first realized he had fallen out of the window, “They thought I might have killed him.”
“It truly was a freak accident.”
“There was no argument, and I hadn’t struck him.”
“I believe Honeybun the cat got her head stuck, prompting him to push the window up. He lost his balance and fell onto the patio.”
“As he fell, he broke the roses on the wall.”
“I was informed that the impact to the back of his head on the concrete would have been fatal.”
“He might have been there for an hour or an hour and a half. He was pale and cold.”
“I placed a pillow under his head.” I called 999 and reported that my partner had been in an accident.
“The ambulance and police arrived within seven minutes. A woman from the police told me he had died.”
“A police officer said that death would have been instantaneous, but they viewed it as a crime scene.”
The Marquess was divorced three times, and his granddaughter, Bo Bruce, competed on BBC’s singing show The Voice. He attended Eton and later became a captain in the Royal Horse Guards before transitioning to a career as a stockbroker.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said, “The London Ambulance Service contacted the police at 8:05 PM on Sunday, May 12, after a man in his 90s was found deceased at an address on Abdale Road, W12.”
“Both police and the London Ambulance Service responded to the scene.”
His family and friends have been notified.
“The death is unexpected but is not being treated as suspicious.”
