Mark Shand’s nephew Ben Elliot has paid tribute to his "hero".
Posting on his Twitter feed, Ben who is a philanthropist and nephew to the Duchess of Cornwall and Mark, said: "RIP my hero and uncle Mark Shand. We loved him so much. What a life. Here he is with his great nephew, my son.
"He also thanked Mark for his conservation efforts for elephants around the world.
"Mark did so much for the plight of the Asian elephant. Elephants never forget. Nor will we," his second tweet read.
Mark sadly passed away on Wednesday from a head injury after a fall in New York.
He was taken to hospital on Tuesday evening after he slipped and fell backwards while lighting a cigarette and hit his head, the New York Police Department (NYPD) said.
In a statement, Clarence House said: "It is with deep sadness that we have to confirm that the Duchess of Cornwall's brother, Mark Shand, has today passed away in New York."
The Duchess, the Prince of Wales, and all her family members are utterly devastated by this sudden and tragic loss."
Both Prince William and his wife the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton expressed sadness over the death of Mark, after they learnt of the news while they were on the penultimate day of their three-week royal visit to Australia and neighbouring New Zealand.
Mark Shand with Prince Charles
They released a statement via a spokesperson, which read: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were saddened to learn this morning of the tragic death of Mark Shand. Their thoughts are with the Duchess of Cornwall and her family at this time."
Mark Shand was often to be found holding court at one of his parties, dazzling guests with his aristocratic good looks and stories of his globetrotting travels in equal measure. But, like the Prince of Wales, his interests encompassed Hinduism, Indian culture and conservation. He was also a respected travel writer and was passionate about saving Asian elephants from extinction.
