DAVID Somerset, the 11th Duke of Beaufort and owner of Badminton House, has died at the age of 89.
The Duke, owner of the Gloucestershire estate which is one of the biggest in England, died on Wednesday.
He leaves a widow, Miranda, and four children in Harry, Anne, Edward and John behind him and he is succeeded by his eldest son Harry, the Marquess of Worcester.
The duke was the president of the Badminton Horse Trials which is held on the family estate every year in early May.
He leaves behind an estimated fortune of £315m, including the 52,000-acre estate, which was where the game of Badminton was invented in 1863.
He was a former president of the British Horse Society and also chairman of Marlborough Fine Art gallery, which he joined in 1948.
He also had a reputation as an international playboy before he assumed the title in 1984
A statement from Badminton House said the Duke died peacefully in his sleep.
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