Beatrice was told ex Paolo Liuzzo had died from an ‘overdose’ in $300-a-night Miami hotel room just weeks after Fergie was diagnosed with skin cancer, it emerges – as playboy son of petrochemical tycoon is laid to rest by close family in Brooklyn

Princess Beatrice discovered her ex-boyfriend – and first love – had died of a suspected overdose in a Miami hotel room, shortly after learning her mother had skin cancer, it emerged today.

Paolo Liuzzo is said to have suffered from a cycle of drugs, gambling, violence and debt before his death at the age of 41.

Beatrice is said to have been devastated by the news of Mr Liuzzo’s death after police were called to a room at the luxury CitizenM Miami Worldcenter hotel, where rooms cost $300 a night, on the afternoon of February 7. The police are still investigating.

It’s been a difficult few weeks for Beatrice. On January 22, it was revealed that her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Paolo had described Fergie as a ‘second mother’.

MailOnline can reveal that Paolo was buried in his native Brooklyn, New York, in an intimate funeral attended by close friends and family.

Relatives of Paolo, the son of an Italian plastics resin magnate, asked mourners to plant trees in his memory. He is survived by his mother and at least one brother.

A family who knew Paolo when he was a child said in their tribute on his ‘memorial wall’: ‘My family is saddened by the news of Paolo’s passing. Our memories of Paolo during his football years on Long Island were always happy and fun. Our deepest condolences go out to his mother and all his teammates who remember him as fondly as we do.”

Prince Andrew’s daughter started dating Liuzzo in 2005 when she was 17 and he was 24, but the couple split in 2006.

Beatrice is said to be shocked by the news of Liuzzo’s death The sunafter police were called to a room at the CitizenM Miami Worldcenter hotel on February 7 at 3:22 p.m.

The cause of death has not been officially reported, but Officer Michael Vega of the Miami Police Department said, “It was investigated as an overdose death. The investigation is open and ongoing.”

A spokesperson told MailOnline that no arrests had been made.

Insiders said Liuzzo struggled with both gambling and drugs, reportedly claiming he had racked up debts with loan sharks. A friend of Liuzzo told The Sun: “Paolo wasn’t doing great on a personal level.

‘He first started using a lot of pharmaceutical drugs, but that later led to cocaine and harder drugs. It was a very fast-paced lifestyle and we were all afraid it would eventually catch up with him.”

Liuzzo had reportedly dabbled in drugs and was previously arrested in Australia for a series of offences, including possession of cocaine.

He was arrested on September 27, 2009 on the Gold Coast after crashing a black $90,000 Audi rental car into traffic lights.

The then 27-year-old was also unable to pay the accommodation and restaurant bills at the Conrad Jupiters casino.

Australian police have charged Liuzzo with fraud, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, possession of two grams of cocaine and driving without due care and attention. Liuzzo pleaded guilty and was fined $5,000.

His controversial past began in 2002 when he was charged with the manslaughter of a fellow student at Heilig Kruiscollege.

His fellow student, 19-year-old Jonathan R. Duchatellier, died as a result of a fight that occurred on May 5, 2002, at an off-campus apartment building at 510 Cambridge St., involving Liuzzo.

The charge was later reduced to assault and Liuzzo served community service.

Hailing from Woodbury, New York, Liuzzo was considered an American socialite at the time of his romance with Beatrice.

Liuzzo and Beatrice met through mutual friends and started dating in July 2005. They managed to keep the relationship a secret for almost a year, but they broke up in May 2006 when reports of the manslaughter charges surfaced, causing a sensation.

Prince Andrew and Ferguson encouraged Beatrice’s romance with Liuzzo, despite their seven-year age difference and criminal past.

“We all have our own journey and have to learn our way, but Beatrice is a sensible girl, soon to be 18, with many friends, including Paolo,” Beatrice’s mother said when the relationship began.

The royal couple invited Liuzzo for a family vacation to the exclusive Swiss ski resort of Verbier.

It subsequently emerged that Liuzzo had ignored the terms of his probation to go on holiday to Switzerland with the Queen’s granddaughter and her family – including Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York – in 2006.

As a result, he was shipped back to the US, where his three-year probation was extended by the court as punishment, forcing Beatrice to end the budding romance.

In 2007, he embarrassed the royal family by claiming marijuana was smoked in front of Beatrice, her sister Eugenie and their mother, Sarah Ferguson, while on holiday in Jamaica.

He was among a group of eight people, including the princesses, who went to the Caribbean for a ten-day vacation in 2005.

The self-styled playboy also confessed to cheating on Beatrice during their relationship – and said she had wanted to introduce him to the Queen.

Beatrice was reportedly heartbroken when their romance ended and she returned to Goldsmiths, part of the University of London.

Liuzzo’s death certificate revealed that he had worked as a consultant in the art industry and had never married.

His body was transported to Long Island, New York, where he grew up, and a funeral was held on February 16.