NEED TO KNOW

  • Rosie Roche was 20 years old when she suddenly died on July 14
  • Roche was Prince William and Prince Harry’s cousin and was related on Princess Diana’s side
  • The college student died as a result of a “traumatic head injury”

Rosie Roche, who was a cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry, tragically died on July 14. She was 20 years old.

Roche died at her family’s home in Norton, Wiltshire, with a firearm allegedly close by inside the property. One week after her death, the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner determined that her cause of death was a “traumatic head injury,” per the autopsy reviewed by The Independent.

Roche was a student at Durham University in England and was studying English literature. She was connected to the royal family through her grandfather, Edmund Roche, 5th Baron Fermoy, who was Princess Diana‘s uncle. The royal family has not publicly commented on her death.

Here’s everything to know about Prince William and Prince Harry’s late cousin, Rosie Roche, and her sudden death.

She was Prince William and Prince Harry’s cousin

Prince William, Prince of Wales during an official visit at RAF Valley, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrives at Westminster Abbey in central London.

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Rosie Jeanne Burke Roche, born on June 21, 2005, was Prince William and Prince Harry’s cousin. She was the granddaughter of Princess Diana’s uncle Edmund Roche, 5th Baron Fermoy, who died in 1984 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, per The New York Times.

Roche’s grandfather had four children, including her father, the Honourable Edmund Hugh Burke Roche. He married Phillipa Katie Victoria Long in 2004, and they welcomed three children. Roche was the oldest of the kids and had siblings Archie (born in 2007) and Agatha (born in 2009).

In an obituary published by the Yorkshire Post on July 19, Roche was described as a “darling daughter of Hugh and Pippa, incredible sister to Archie and Agatha, Granddaughter to Derek and Rae Long.” The statement added that there would be a “private family funeral” planned later.

The British royal family did not immediately issue an official statement, nor have Prince William or Prince Harry publicly spoken out about their cousin’s death.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (left) and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrive for the unveiling of a statue they commissioned of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales.

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She died from a “traumatic head injury”

Roche’s official cause of death was listed as a “traumatic head injury,” the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner told several outlets, including The Independent and Gazette and Herald.

A spokesperson for Coroner Grant Davies said that authorities investigated the death and “have deemed the death as non-suspicious and there was no third-party involvement,” per The Sun.

The police also clarified that “there are no suspicious circumstances” surrounding the death, per The Independent. They added, “Our thoughts are with her family. We would ask that their privacy is respected at this terrible time.”

Roche’s mother and sister reportedly found her deceased at their home in Norton, Wiltshire, on July 14. The two allegedly checked in on her after she began packing for a vacation with her friends. A spokesperson for the coroner’s office confirmed to the Gazette and Herald that a “firearm was located nearby.”

She was studying English literature at Durham University

Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (L) and Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the unveiling of a statue of their mother, Princess Diana at The Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace, London on July 1, 2021.

DOMINIC LIPINSKI/POOL/AFP via Getty 

At the time of her death, Roche was studying English literature at Durham University in Durham, England.

Professor Wendy Powers, the Principal of Durham’s University College, said in a statement after Roche’s death, per The Independent, “Rosie had settled into the University and College beautifully and had lots of friends.”

She was known for her “creativity” and “energy”

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex walk together.
Kirsty O’Connor – WPA Pool/Getty

After Roche’s tragic death, Professor Powers reflected on her impact at Durham University and how she will be remembered.

“University College staff and students are extremely saddened by the tragic death of Rosie Roche,” Powers said in a statement, obtained by The Independent. “She was loved for her creativity, energy, her love of books, poetry and travel among many other talents. She will be sorely missed.”

Powers added in her statement that she was sending “thoughts and condolences” to the Roche family and her friends.

“We are offering support to those affected at this extremely difficult time,” she concluded.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.