Prince Edward receives heartbreaking news about ‘immeasurable’
Prince Edward has received heartbreaking news after the death of 17-year-old Cameron Waldeck-Cooks, who was taking part in an adventurous hiking journey connected to The President’s Award for Youth Empowerment in South Africa.
The teenager was among students from St Stithians Girls’ College who had travelled to Mpumalanga as part of the five-day expedition. The journey was linked to the South African implementation of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, an international youth programme founded by Prince Philip and closely associated with the Royal Family.
Participants taking part in the award are required to complete a multi-day adventurous journey as part of the programme. For Cameron, however, the trip ended in devastating circumstances.
According to reports, the 17-year-old was found dead in a room at a lodge in Mpumalanga on August 3. Her death has left her family and those who knew her facing what her parents described as an immeasurable loss.
Another student, 19-year-old Ethan Coetzee, was also found dead during the same period. Reports stated that Cameron died as a result of strangulation, while Ethan died by suicide.
The circumstances surrounding Cameron’s death have now prompted a murder investigation after police confirmed that they had opened a case.
Her parents, Derrick Cooks and Claire Waldeck-Cooks, issued a statement following the devastating discovery. They explained that they were informed on the morning of August 3 that Cameron’s body had been found by Graham Coetzee.
The family also appointed an independent forensic pathologist to examine their daughter’s death. According to her parents, the preliminary findings indicated that Cameron died from strangulation and suffocation.
They said: “We were notified on the morning of 3rd of August 2026 that Graham Coetzee discovered her body.”
The family added that the police had confirmed a murder investigation was underway.
The news has brought an especially painful dimension to an award programme intended to encourage young people to challenge themselves, develop resilience and take part in adventurous activities.
Cameron had been pursuing the requirements of the President’s Award as part of her journey, but her family is now left grieving a daughter they described in deeply affectionate terms.
In their statement, Derrick and Claire remembered Cameron as a “kind-hearted, warm and determined” young woman.
Their description offered a glimpse into the person behind the tragic headlines, as they mourn the loss of their daughter at just 17 years old.
The death has also drawn attention because of the connection between the South African award programme and the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. Prince Edward, who became Duke of Edinburgh following the death of his father Prince Philip, has been closely associated with the award and its work supporting young people around the world.
The programme encourages participants to take on challenges and complete activities designed to build confidence, independence and practical skills. Adventurous journeys are a central part of the award, requiring young people to spend several days taking part in an expedition.
For Cameron and the other students, the hiking trip was intended to be part of that experience.
Instead, her death has left her family and community trying to understand how such a devastating tragedy could have occurred.
The fact that police have confirmed a murder investigation is likely to intensify questions about what happened at the lodge in Mpumalanga. At this stage, Cameron’s parents have shared the preliminary findings provided by the independent forensic pathologist, while the police investigation remains ongoing.
The family’s statement makes clear the scale of their grief. Their daughter was just 17 and had been described as kind-hearted, warm and determined.
For those who knew Cameron, the loss is therefore about far more than the circumstances surrounding her death. It is the loss of a young woman whose life was still unfolding and who had been taking part in an experience designed to help young people pursue their ambitions.
As the investigation continues, her family is now facing an unimaginable period of grief while authorities work to establish exactly what happened.
The tragic circumstances have also cast a shadow over an award scheme intended to celebrate young people’s courage, determination and achievements. For Cameron’s loved ones, however, the focus is now simply on remembering the daughter they lost and the qualities that made her so deeply loved.
