Indian polo-playing friend of King Charles, William and Harry dies ‘suddenly’ aged 72

An Indian-born polo-playing friend of the king who once said he was “happy” to be nicknamed “Sooty” has died suddenly aged 72, MailOnline has revealed.

Kuldip Singh Dhillon found himself in the center of a racing row after it emerged that then-Prince Charles and other members of Cirencester Park Polo Club used the nickname considered a racist slur by many.

The controversial name, which Dhillon insisted he “enjoyed”, appeared in the press in 2009, shortly after it was revealed that Prince Harry had called an Army colleague “our little P*** friend”.

Mr Dhillon, a property developer who owned a large property in the Gloucestershire countryside, is understood to have died at a family wedding in India on Wednesday but was reportedly in good health.

Neighbors confirmed to MailOnline that he had passed away suddenly, but his English-born wife, Jacqueline, and their four children have yet to comment. Ms Dhillon is understood to have been in India with her husband at the time.

The manager of his 100-acre farm in Gloucestershire, Simon Cox, said: ‘We can’t believe it. He was a fit man with no health problems that we were aware of. It’s a real shock.

Mr and Mrs Dhillon’s son, Satnam, a professional polo player, has flown in to be with his grieving mother.

A gardener at the estate said: ‘Her son managed to fly away to be with his mother. It must have been pretty horrible for her. We received a call to say that Mr. Dhillon had died a few hours after it happened. From what we know, he just left. Nobody can believe it.

Ignacio Archain, far left, Kuldip Singh Dhillon and Gachi Ferrari present Prince William with the La Martina Pro Evolution helmet for the most valuable player of the match in 2014

Prince Harry with Kuldip Singh Dhillon. The nickname for him ‘Sooty’ arose after Harry was accused of racism when he called an army colleague ‘our little friend P**i’

Dhillon had served as president of the historic Cirencester Polo Club, formed in 1894, and was a friend of Camilla, the queen consort, and later of Charles and their two sons. Harry and William were especially close to their son Satnam, who is a professional polo player and businessman.

Mark Hayden-Kellard, 60, general manager of Cirencester Polo Club, said Sun: ‘We are very sad, we will miss him greatly. He was a great character around here and we all loved him very much.

‘We’ve all been really affected by it. She was only 72 years old and in good health, so it has been a huge shock to all of us here at the Polo Club.

“We will certainly do something in the next few days to honor his memory.”

MailOnline has approached the club for comment.

Described by friends as “brilliant” and “absolutely charming”, Mr Dhillon, who went by the name Kolin socially, had known Charles for over 30 years.

According to club members, Mr Dhillon was ‘affectionately’ known as Sooty ‘for as long as anyone can remember’.

“I have to say you know you’ve arrived when you get a nickname,” Mr. Dhillon had said.

‘I enjoy being called Sooty by my friends and I’m sure they universally use the name as a term of endearment with no offense or sentiment intended.

“The Prince of Wales is a man without prejudice and his two sons have always been very respectful.”

A member of the polo club said at the time: “To be honest, when I first joined I was quite surprised, especially as Kolin was, how to say, our only black face, but it was a nickname that I used personally, so I, along with many others, thought there was no harm in it.

“Kolin is certainly happy with the nickname and, to be honest, we’re quite amused by it. It has become something of a running joke at the expense of the politically correct brigade. A kind of two fingers for the PC mafia.

Among those who frequently referred to Mr Dhillon as ‘Sooty’ were Charles and his sons, who were playing polo on the private field their friend had built in his home grounds.

Mr. Dhillon and his English-born wife, Jacqueline, have four children. He was also a former president of the Association of Polo Schools and Universities.

William and Harry were especially good friends with Mr Dhillon’s youngest son, Satnam, who raises ponies in his father’s stables.

A friend said: ‘I remember being at a tea there, oh my gosh, in the late 1990s that Charles was in attendance. When it was time to go, he stood up and said loudly, “I must go and say goodbye to Sooty.” No ibe even blinked.

Clarence House declined to comment at the time about what they described as a “private nickname allegedly used in a private club”, but a source said: “To imply that any of the princes are racist is ridiculous.”

The dispute erupted at a time when royal aides had to defend Harry after it emerged that he had recorded himself calling a fellow Sandhurst cadet ‘P**i’ and using the word ‘raghead’.

Harry referred to former Pakistani platoon member Ahmed Raza Khan as “our little P*** friend”.

In his book, Spare, Harry claimed that he “didn’t know that P*** was an insult”. The Duke of Sussex said he “heard a lot of people use the word” when he was a child and “hadn’t seen anyone flinch or get angry” and that he hadn’t considered them racist.

He added: ‘And I didn’t know anything about unconscious biases either. He was 21 years old, he had isolated me from the real world and wrapped up in privilege, and he believed that word was the same as Yankee. Harmless.’

Prince Harry and Ahmed Raza Khan during The Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, April 2006. Prince Harry has now claimed he “didn’t know P*** was an insult” when he famously used the racial slur to describe his fellow soldier

Harry writes in his book: ‘I was 21 years old, cut off from the real world and wrapped up in privilege, and I thought that word was the same as Yankee. Harmless.’ (Pictured: Harry at Eton in his traditional school outfit)

The duke said people accused him of learning nothing from the Nazi debacle in 2005, saying he was “worse than stupid” or a “partier” and “was a racist”.

He said he was in Highgrove watching the scandal unfold as top politicians criticized him on national television and was unable to prosecute him.

Harry claimed that his father’s office issued an apology on his behalf and that he wanted to issue another, but the palace aides advised against it.

“It’s not the best strategy, sir,” he says he was told, to which he replied: “Fuck the strategy.”

Harry said he contacted Ahmed directly and apologized. He said that his comrade told him that she knew he was not a racist and that “nothing happened.”

However, the duke writes that it “happened” and that his friend’s forgiveness only made him feel worse.