Man arrested after heir’s wife found dead

The body of Eva Rausing, 48, the wife of Hans Kristian Rausing, heir to the family’s £4.5 billion Tetra Pak drinks carton fortune was found in a bedroom at their mansion in Cadogan Place, Belgravia on Monday.

Scotland Yard are treating 48-year-old Mrs Rausing’s death as “unexplained” following an inconclusive post-mortem examination. Further toxicology tests are being carried out to determine whether drugs or alcohol were responsible.

The news was broken to 86-year-old Hans Rausing and his wife Marit at their 900-acre Sussex estate. They issued a statement saying they were “deeply shocked and saddened” at their daughter-in-law’s death.

The family later issued a statement saying: “Eva was a devoted wife for 20 years and mother of four much-loved and wonderful children.

“During her short lifetime she made a huge philanthropic impact, supporting a large number of charitable causes, not only financially, but using her own personal experiences.

“She bravely fought her health issues for many years. The family is devastated at her death and asks to be given privacy at this difficult time.”

Hans Kristian Rausing, 49, was stopped by police for driving erratically on Monday. He was found to be carrying class A drugs and police searching his home discovered his wife’s body in an upstairs bedroom.

In 2008, Mrs Rausing was caught trying to smuggle heroin and crack cocaine into the American Embassy in her handbag and £2,000 worth of drugs were later said to be at the couple’s home.

They were eventually handed conditional cautions and Mrs Rausing publicly vowed to get help for her drug use.