- .They shared a long friendship starting at Cambridge University 50 years ago
- .'He was ill for some time, but still came as shock to the Prince', friend says
- .Mr Van Cutsem, who was also close to the Queen, died after a long illness
- .One of his four sons is likely to be godfather to Prince George
Prince Charles has been 'hit very hard' after one of his oldest friends died.
Hugh van Cutsem and the Prince of Wales shared a life-long friendship after meeting at Cambridge University, but he died yesterday after a long illness.
The 72-year-old, whose four sons are close to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, formed a strong bond with Charles after they met in the 1960s.
He had been a mainstay of royal events for more than 50 years and was a confident during the Prince's marriage break-up with Princess Diana.
In mourning: Hugh Van Cutsem, 72, died yesterday, and he was one of Prince Charles' closest friends after they met at Cambridge in the 1960s
'It has hit the Prince very hard,' a friend told the Daily Telegraph today, adding: 'He had been ill for some time, but it still came as a shock.'
Like the Prince of Wales Mr Van Cutsem was a keen conservationist and owned a 4,400-acre estate on Norfolk’s Brecklands where the family live.
The Van Cutsems became a mainstay of Royal life, and were the Queen's neighbours for a few years.
They lived at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate, which will soon become WIlliam and Kate's country house after a 'major renovation'.
Long friendship: Prince Charles and Mr van Cutsem, seen here at an event in 1986 in North Yorkshire
Shared interests: Mr Van Cutsem was a keen conservationist just like Charles, which further cemented their friendship
He leaves behind his wife of 42 years Emilio and four sons, Edward, 40, Hugh, 39, Nicholas, 36, and William, 33. One is likely to be a godfather to Prince George.
Edward was a pageboy at the wedding of Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, while the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh attended the 2004 wedding of son Ed to Lady Tamara Grosvenor.
And Mr Van Cutsem’s five-year-old granddaughter was a bridesmaid at the Royal wedding in 2011, catching the attention of the public when she appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony covering her ears.
During the breakdown of their parents’ marriage, Prince William and Harry grew close to the van Cutsem family who often looked after the pair.
Royal connection: Prince Harry and Prince William at the wedding of Edward van Cutsem in 2004 and the Duchess of Cambridge at the wedding of William Van Cutsem in May despite being heavily pregnant
Special moment: Mr Van Cutsem's granddaughter Grace was a bridesmaid at the Royal Wedding and famously covered her ears during a flypast
A keen businessman, Mr van Cutsem owned a data storage business and worked as an investment manager at Hambro’s as well as having a number of other business interests.
In 2010 Mr Van Cutsem sparked a 20 hour manhunt after going missing on remote moorland.
It took more than 60 rescue workers to locate millionaire landowner Mr van Cutsem, 68, who was found huddled against a stone wall on Garsdale Common, near Hawes, North Yorkshire.
Strong bond: Page boy Edward van Cutsem (front row, far left) at Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding in 1981
Mr van Cutsem was in need of urgent medical attention when he was found by a search and rescue dog.
Mr van Cutsem had set out for a walk five hours earlier from his shooting lodge near the Moorcock Inn pub.
His Range Rover was found at a shooting hut on Mossdale Moor, the shooting estate he owns, and he was discovered a mile from the car.
His Range Rover was found at a shooting hut on Mossdale Moor, the shooting estate he owns, and he was discovered a mile from the car.
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