Queen Camilla keeps late brother's memory alive in touching way

Queen Camilla has managed to keep her late brother, Mark Shand's memory alive in a sweet way that is still going strong today, ten years after his death.

Mark Shand - a British travel writer and conservationist - died on April 23, 2014, after he tripped and struck his head as he was trying to light a cigarette outside a hotel in New York following a fundraising auction, at the age of 62.

At the time, Camilla spoke to the Times about the moment she answered the phone to find out the devastating news, saying: "An anguished voice on the other end told me that something terrible had happened to my indestructible brother.

"My charismatic and sometimes infuriating brother, who had survived tsunamis, shipwrecks, poisoned arrows and even the fearsome Komodo dragons, was no longer with us."

But it looks like even after all those years since his passing, the Queen has worked hard to keep her beloved brother's memory alive, with the support of her husband, King Charles.

The King and Queen are both royal presidents of the Elephant Family, Mark's wildlife charity he co-founded in 2002.

Its aim is to protect the Asian elephant from extinction in the wild.

The royal couple have taken part in many initiatives aiming to spread awareness and help preserve Asia's wildlife, including The Big Egg Hunt and the CoExistence campaign.

CoExistence saw 125 life-size lantana elephant sculptures displayed in London’s Royal Parks in the summer months of 2021.

The campaign raised awareness and over £3m to ensure humans and wildlife can coexist better around the world. ⁠

Four of these sculptures, modelled after wild elephants in India, can now be found at Highgrove House - King Charles's Gloucestershire residence - where visitors can see them in the Orchard Room Meadow.

The Highgrove website reads: "These sculptures are a source of celebration and contemplation as part of the CoExistence campaign launched in 2021 as a collaboration between The Real Elephant Collective and Elephant Family, with joint presidents Their Majesties The King Charles III and The Queen Camilla."

Last June, Charles and Camilla attended the Animal Ball, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Elephant Family, where they presented the Mark Shand Award to members of the Adivasi tribal community from the Nilgiri Mountains in India.