TRIBUTES have been paid to Lord Harlech who died suddenly in Talsarnau this week.

Francis Ormsby-Gore, 6th Baron Harlech, died at his property at The Glyn Estate on Monday, aged 61.

North Wales Police were called to a property at 11.40am after receiving a report of a sudden death.

They said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and a post mortem revealed that he had died of natural causes.

Baron Harlech succeeded his father, David Ormsby-Gore, in 1985 and sat as a Conservative member of the House of Lords until the removal of the hereditary peers in 1999.

He was married from 1986 to 1998 to Amanda Jane Grieve, with whom he had a son, Jasset David Cody Ormsby-Gore and daughter, Tallulah Sylva Maria Ormsby-Gore.

Cllr Caerwyn Roberts, who represents Harlech and Talsarnau on Gwynedd Council and knew Lord Harlech for over 20 years, said he was shocked by the news.

He said: “I have heard from a few people that he had passed away which is very sad to hear.

“He was a very knowledgeable person and very friendly – he was very passionate about the area and loved where he lived in Talsarnau.

“Over the years he use to visit me to discuss twinning Harlech with Kosovo, it was around 10 years ago he approached the subject last with me , because of all the trouble the country was having at the time he thought by twinning the areas together it would create stability over there.

“Unfortunately the process of twinning towns costs a lot of money and at that point the community council didn’t have the funding to go ahead with this.

“It was a shame as I know he was very passionate about it.”

Cllr Roberts said Lord Harlech was also a big landowner in the area and owned around 15 farms.

He added: “I was always happy to see him and every time I did see him I always felt like I learnt something new, he was that kind of man.

“He was always wearing a black hat and dressed very differently to everyone else in the village so you always noticed him straight away.

“He was very well known in Talsarnau and did a lot with the people of the village and Harlech itself, he owned a lot of land around here too – I’m sure he will be missed by the residents of the community.”A spokesman for the Conservative Party in the House of Lords said: "Lord Harlech was a Conservative member of the House of Lords for 14 years inheriting the title from his father in 1985 until the passing of the House of Lords Act in 1999. "He was a popular and colourful figure and will be much missed by his many friends."

Lord Harlech is believed to have suffered some personal struggles during his life.

In 2001 he was caught driving while more than four times over the legal alcohol limit near his home.