Death of Diana's relative remains mystery
London
Telegaph | July 22 2004
A coroner recorded an open verdict yesterday
on the death of Adam Shand Kydd, the stepbrother of Diana, Princess of Wales.
The naked body of the 49-year-old writer was
found in a rented flat in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in April.
In a brief memo to the British Embassy in Phnom Penh, the
Cambodian authorities concluded that he had died from an overdose of sleeping
tablets. But Dr Paul Knapman, the Westminster Coroner, said the Cambodian
inquiries - which had involved neither post mortem nor analysis of samples
- "left much to be desired".
Tests carried out in Britain after his body was returned
showed moderate levels of alcohol and drugs consistent with painkillers
but they could have been contaminated by embalming fluid.
Mr Shand Kydd, who had gone to Cambodia to meet friends
and re-establish himself as a writer, had suffered from a "grossly
enlarged heart", due to high blood pressure, and also coronary artery
disease, the inquest heard.
Seven strips of Valium, with 94 pills missing, were found
in the flat, along with, among others, packets of rivotril, which can be
used to prevent panic attacks, and kamagra, a generic version of Viagra.
The inquest heard that two days before his death Mr Shand
Kydd, the eldest son of Peter Shand Kydd, a wallpaper millionaire who married
the mother of Diana, Princess of Wales, was seen acting oddly. A cleaner
reported him throwing his clothes around his room and slapping his head
many times. The owner of the apartment said he had complained to her of
"belly pain" and vomiting.
Dr Knapman said: "Has Mr Shand Kydd died of a deliberate
overdose, an accidental overdose, has it been an overdose at all? Certainly
that may well not be the case. It may well be his heart at the time.
"One explanation was that he was taking possibly too
many tablets, probably in association with alcohol. It's not clear which
they were, when they were taken or why they were taken."
Ruling out foul play, he said: "It's not clear whether
this has been abuse of drugs, suicide or an accident, or indeed natural
causes".
Mr Shand Kydd, educated at Stowe and author of Happy Trails,
published in 1984, was described to the inquest as "a voracious reader
with a huge knowledge of military history".
His GP, Dr Eric Huang, said Mr Shand Kydd, had no history
of drug misuse.
