The Queen Consort, Camilla, is said to be devastated to learn of the death of her brother-in-law Simon Elliot.
Businessman Simon Elliot, the husband of Camilla’s younger sister Annabel Elliot, died after a long illness.
Sources close to the family say Mr Elliot was a generous straight-talking man who loved his family and was known for his quiet charisma and direct ability to build friendships and connect effortlessly with people.
A close friend said: “He was beyond courageous in his last few months, his family and friends are devastated to lose a man whose middle name was loyalty. He was a fount of common sense and wisdom and it is a great sadness that he has gone so early.”
It is unclear at this moment whether Camilla will pause engagements following the loss but she is expected to visit France and Germany later this month with Charles in his first state visit as monarch.
Mr Elliot, who had business links in the Middle East, married Annabel in 1972, just a year before the Queen Consort was first married. His late father Sir William was an Air Chief Marshal of the RAF.
The Elliots had a very close relationship with Camilla, even attending her and Charles’ honeymoon to Birkhall in Scotland, where staff laid the wedding-night table for four instead of two.
Annabel and Simon, married for more than 50 years, lived in a country house in the Dorset village of Stourpaine where Charles and Camilla would meet for discreet weekends.
Mr Elliot was also very close to his brother-in-law King Charles, who he accompanied on a number of Middle Eastern diplomatic functions while he was still the Prince of Wales. He was also a friend of the assassinated Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri and is understood to have engineered a meeting between him and the then Prince at Highgrove.
The King long appreciated the help and comfort received from Annabel and Simon, as well as their loyalty towards him.
One of Mr Elliot’s three children is former Conservative chairman and entrepreneur Ben Elliot, who served as party co-chair from July 2019 to his resignation in September. He was a legendary fundraiser for the party, bringing in more than £37m in donations.
