Rosie Jeanne Burke Roche, a 20-year-old cousin to Princes William and Harry, was found dead at her family’s countryside estate in Norton, Wiltshire, on July 14, 2025. A bright and beloved student at Durham University, Rosie had just completed her first year studying English Literature and was packing for a getaway with friends when her mother and sister discovered her lifeless body. The sudden and shocking loss of someone so young, vibrant, and full of promise prompted an immediate outpouring of grief, and an official investigation.

Rosie’s connection to the British royal family—being the granddaughter of Princess Diana’s uncle—brought widespread public interest to the case. A weapon was found nearby, but authorities ruled out foul play. According to area coroner Grant Davies, Rosie died from a “traumatic head injury,” but her death was considered non-suspicious. While official details remain limited, the loss has left her family and community devastated, and tributes continue to flood in from those who knew and loved her.

Her university remembered her as a “creative, energetic” student, someone deeply loved for her passion for books, poetry, and travel. Friends and faculty alike described her as someone who had beautifully adapted to campus life and left a lasting mark on everyone she met. On social media, her parents shared tender snapshots of her childhood—riding horses, biking, and traveling—capturing the spirit of a girl who lived with joy and curiosity.

A private funeral was held in the days following her death, with plans for a public memorial to be announced later. Rosie’s tragic passing follows another recent loss within royal circles—Thomas Kingston, husband to Lady Gabriella Windsor, also died under sudden and heartbreaking circumstances in 2024. As the Spencer family and royal relatives grieve yet another profound loss, the memory of Rosie Roche remains etched in the hearts of those she touched—young, bright, and gone far too soon.