THE Earl of Pembroke's stepdad took his own life due to "severe financial pressures", an inquest heard.
Stuart Wyndham Murray Threipland, 76, was found with a shotgun wound to his head at Wilton House in Wiltshire.
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Stuart Wyndham Murray Threipland was found dead in June Credit: Linkedin
He had resigned as director of 15 firms and put his 13-bedroom castle in Scotland up for sale for ￡25million that day.
An inquest heard Threipland had left notes for his three children saying he "couldn't forgive himself" for the "mess" he created.
His wife Claire Rose, whose son William Herbert is the 18th Earl of Pembroke, said he had planned to take his own life just days earlier.
She had found him with a shotgun laid across his lap on the grounds of their Scottish estate using a Find-My-Friends app.
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Claire said: "He said if I had been two minutes longer he would have shot himself."
The couple returned to Wilton, the historic seat of the Earls of Pembroke for more than 400 years, the day before Threipland died.
They had been in the process of selling their estate to "alleviate" financial pressures.
Salisbury Coroner's Court was told Threipland, who was chairman of machinery manufacturer Kitagawa Europe, was discovered dead by his electric BMW on June 12.
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You're Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858 Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123 Movember, www.uk.movember.com Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm
Ruling a verdict of suicide, senior coroner David Ridley said: "The financial difficulties Mr Threipland was experiencing were clearly causing him significant anxiety.
"He didn't want to let his employees or his family down."
William Herbert, the 18th Earl of Pembroke said his "second father" was a "kind, charismatic, energetic and very determined man".
Wilton House has been used as a filming location in Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley, Mrs Brown starring Judi Dench, The Crown and Tomb Raider.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
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He had put his Scottish castle for sale the day he died 4
Threipland was found dead at Wilton House