David Cameron’s brother Alexander dies from cancer, aged 59
The brother of former prime minister David Cameron, Alexander Cameron KC, has died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, aged 59.
The prominent criminal lawyer has been described as “one of the best silks at the criminal bar” by his chambers, Three Raymond Buildings.
The father of two was aged just 39 when he made Queen’s Counsel and went to build an “illustrious career”.
“He will be missed enormously, and our heartfelt condolences go to his wife, Sarah, their children Imogen and Angus, and to his wider family,” his chamber, based near Holborn in London, said in a tribute on Wednesday.
Alexander Cameron stepped down from the bar shortly after being diagnosed with cancer in 2020.
David Cameron has previously admitted that he lived “in the shadow” of his older brother by three years when he was a teenager. The pair both attended the prestigious Eton College and Alexander went on to Bristol University while David attended Oxford.
In an edition of the Big Issue, which he guest edited, Mr Cameron wrote: “He was three years older, went to the same school, and was a huge success, on the sports field and almost always lead actor in the school plays.
“It was great to have that kind of role model, and I was incredibly proud of him, but like many younger brothers you find yourself always a few steps behind.”
After the death of their father in 2010, David always referred to his brother as “the head of the family”.
Alexander grew up in Berkshire as the eldest of four children, and later trained as an actor in Paris before appearing regularly on stage at the Edinburgh Festival.
Alexander married fellow barrister Sarah Fearnley-Whittingstall in 1990.
He was in 2013 the first barrister for 90 years to appear on camera at the Court of Appeal, after a major law change allowed televised proceedings.
Apart from the proceedings of the Supreme Court, it was the first time that cameras had been allowed in an English court since they were banned in 1925.
His brother David watched proceedings during a train journey on his iPhone.
Mr Cameron told reporters at the time: “I couldn’t help notice that the barrister in the case was actually my brother, which was a surprise to me as I think it was a surprise to him.”
The lawyer represented a number of high-profile clients including former editor of News of the World Rebekah Brooks, in her phone hacking defence in 2013, and Conservative former ministers Jonathan Aitken and Lord Archer, both of whom he helped to defend in their trials for perjury.
