Michael Brudenell-Bruce, the eighth Marquess Of Ailesbury, has fallen to his death in a ‘freak accident’, apparently while he was letting the cat out.

The Marquess, a distant relative of Prince Harry’s model ex Florence Brudenell-Bruce, opened his bedroom window to let his pet out, according to his partner, but sadly plunged to his death in London.

The 98-year-old died instantly, it was reported by The Sun, after hitting his head on the concrete patio.

He was tragically discovered by his long term partner, Teresa Marshall de Paoli, 88, who had been cooking their dinner on Sunday. The Sun reported her as believing he had lain there for at least an hour.

His partner of 36 years said she called police and emergency services, and she was later permitted to say goodbye and spray his favourite aftershave on him.

Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in 2018, almost eight years after his relationship with Florence Brudenell-Bruce, a model who is the daughter of Andrew Brudenell-Bruce

Florence Brudenell Bruce pictured at the Royal Ascot in 2012, after her relationship with Harry and a year before she married multi-millionaire Henry St George

In 2011, Prince Harry dated Florence Brudenell-Bruce, a model who is the daughter of Andrew Brudenell-Bruce, and a distant relation of the third Marquess Of Ailesbury.

They dated for two months and reportedly remained friends. Ms Brudenell-Bruce went on to marry multi-millionaire Henry St George in 2013, with Prince Harry marrying Meghan Markle in 2018.

Teresa Marshall De Paol told The Sun police ‘thought I might have killed him’ before they realised he had fallen at the house which they had lived at for 14 years since they left his home in Savernake Forest.

‘It was an absolutely freak accident, she said, ‘there had not been a row, I hadn’t hit him.

‘I think the cat called Honeybun got her head stuck and he pushed it [the window] up and lost his balance, and he fell onto to the patio,’ she told the newspaper.

Florence Brudenell-Bruce pictured at the launch of the Savannah Miller x Next collection at SohoWorks on June 10, 2021 in London

She said he ‘fell 5ft, breaking the roses on the wall’ as he fell.

The 88-year-old told The Sun her partner was ‘cold and very pale’ and she had fetched a cushion to place under his head.

‘I said to him “Oh my darling what has happened” but he was dead,’ she told the newspaper.

She contacted his daughter Lady Kathryn Brudenell-Bruce to tell her what had happened.

They comforted one another and spent ‘all night in an armchair’ together.

The Met Police confirmed they attended the address at just after 8pm on Sunday and the London Ambulance Service attended.

‘The death is as unexpected but not being treated suspicious,’ a spokesperson said.