A tragic fall from a London hotel rooftop has claimed the life of Ben Duncan. This 45-year-old reality star witnessed the romantic spark between Prince William and Kate Middleton at university that would ultimately reshape the British monarchy.
Story Highlights
- Ben Duncan, a college classmate of Prince William and Kate Middleton, died after a 100-foot fall from a London hotel rooftop.
- Duncan was present when Kate first caught William’s attention at the university fashion show, describing the moment as altering “the whole history of the monarchy.”
- Reality TV star appeared on multiple UK shows, including “Big Brother” Season 11, after graduating from St. Andrews.
- Metropolitan Police ruled the October 30th death “unexpected but non-suspicious” following an investigation.
Witness to Royal Romance Dies in London Tragedy
Ben Duncan, who attended the University of St. Andrews alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton from 2001 to 2005, died after falling 100 feet from the rooftop of London’s Trafalgar St. James Hotel.
Metropolitan Police responded to the seven-story building on Cockspur Street in Westminster at 23:02 hours on Thursday, October 30th. Despite emergency medical efforts, Duncan was pronounced dead at the scene in what authorities described as an “unexpected but non-suspicious” death.
Kate Middleton and Prince William’s college classmate dead after 100-foot fall from London bar rooftop https://t.co/d3U2YmPBhE pic.twitter.com/WZt5uzGz4r
— New York Post (@nypost) November 4, 2025
The Fashion Show That Changed History
Duncan holds a unique place in royal history as an eyewitness to the moment Kate Middleton first captured Prince William’s romantic attention. At the university’s campus fashion show during their first year, Duncan watched as Kate walked the runway in what he described as “a very daring dress, in a sheer stocking-like dress.”
He recalled William sitting front row with “his eyes like stalks” as Kate “brushed by him on the way to the catwalk.” Duncan later reflected that “things were never the same again” and “the whole history of the monarchy had been altered.”
Reality TV Career After Royal Connections
Following his graduation from St. Andrews, Duncan transitioned into reality television, appearing on Season 11 of the UK’s “Big Brother” in 2010.
Though he was evicted on day 52, finishing sixth in the competition won by Josie Gibson, Duncan continued his television career with appearances on shows including “Come Dine With Me,” “Ladette to Lady,” and “Celebrity Coach Trip.” His television work kept him in the public eye long after his university days with the future royals.
Campus Life With Royal Protection
Duncan provided rare insights into what it was like sharing a campus with the future King and Queen. In a 2010 interview, he described how “royal protection officers swarming the place” became a normal part of university life.
Despite the heightened security presence, Duncan noted that William and Kate “were just left alone to get on with it” as their relationship developed.
He and fellow students recognized early that “something was happening” between the couple, witnessing the beginning of what would become one of the most watched royal romances in modern history.
Tributes Pour In for Beloved Friend
Following news of Duncan’s death, friends and former colleagues remembered him fondly on social media.
Broadcaster Mike Hollingsworth wrote on Facebook that Duncan “lived life as Peter Pan – the boy who never grew up” and would “be sorely missed by his many, many friends, who grew to love his charm, his wit, his infectious laugh and his innate sense of style.”
Josie Gibson, his “Big Brother” co-star and season winner, paid tribute on Instagram Stories, calling Duncan “one of the most unique, hilariously funny, dry-witted guys I know.”
