David Cameron’s older brother Alex has died from cancer at the age of 59.

Alexander Cameron was a distinguished barrister – a King’s Counsel – and appeared on television in 2013.

As Sky News reported at the time, he became the first barrister to be shown arguing a case in the Court of Appeal.

Cameras had been banned from courts in England and Wales since 1925.

Among Alex Cameron’s clients were former Conservative politicians Jonathan Aitken and Jeffrey Archer, who he helped defend in their trials for perjury.

After Eton, he studied at Bristol University before being called to the bar in 1986.

He was reportedly suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Mr Cameron’s chambers, Three Raymond Buildings, announced his death with “immense sadness”.

They said: “Alex was considered to be one of the best silks at the criminal bar during his illustrious career, and was a hugely respected and inspirational head of these chambers.

“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 wife, Sarah Fearnley-Whittingstall, is a cousin of the TV chef Hugh.

David Cameron said he “lived in the shadow of my older brother”.

Guest editing The Big Issue in 2011, the former PM 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.

“It was not until I left school that I felt I was breaking out of my brother’s shadow and doing my own thing.”

When Alex Cameron appeared on TV in 2013, his brother watched the proceedings on his phone on a train, saying the Court of Appeal was “rather different to the noise and the atmosphere in the House of Commons for Prime Minister’s Question Time”.

He added: “It’s very quiet, it’s very ordered, it’s very reasonable. So I said to my brother perhaps he would like to do a job swap for a day.”

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