Socialite Sir Dai Llewellyn died in hospital last night, after losing his battle with cancer.

The 62-year-old had been receiving treatment for bone cancer at Edenbridge and District War Memorial Hospital in Kent, and a nurse confirmed that he died at around 9pm yesterday evening.

Sir Dai was born in Aberdare, South Wales, in 1946, and inherited the Baronetcy of Bwllfa from his father, gold medal-winning Olympic showjumper Sir Harry Llewellyn, when he died in 1999.

He was brother to Roddy Llewellyn, who had a six-year affair with Princess Margaret. The pair fell out after Sir Dai mentioned the affair in a newspaper, though the brothers were reconciled at the end of last year.

Known as a ladies’ man, Sir Dai said in November: “I love women. There is nothing more beautiful than an English rose. They take my breath away.”

Sir Dai blamed one of his other vices – alcohol – for his failing health, after he was admitted to hospital in June last year in a great deal of pain.

The bon-viveur said: “It’s all down to the alcohol, it’s all my fault. Oh what a joy, what a pleasure alcohol can bring you.

“It can be one of life’s great pleasures, but it can also cause great downfalls.”

Personal friend Dragomir Devedlaka said that Sir Dai’s former wife, Vanessa, and two daughters Olivia, 28, and Arabella, 25, were at his bedside.

He said: “I knew intuitively it would be goodbye, because of the way he looked.

“He was the perfect gentleman, and was the most amazing person to be with.”

Sir Dai had said in an interview in November that he was “riddled” with cancer, as it emerged he was also suffering from extreme anaemia, diabetes, and cirrhosis of the liver.

Sir Dai was also a staunch supporter of the UK Independence Party and stood for the party in the National Assembly for Wales elections in 2007.

Mr Devedlaka said that Sir Dai had not changed from the man he had first met 30 years ago. He said: “He’s the only person I’ve ever met who lived every second of every minute of every day.

“In 30 years I have never once seen him miserable. He was very happy, and made a lot of other people very happy.”

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