THE Queen’s cousin and County Durham estate owner, the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, has left a £40 million fortune in his will.

Michael Fergus Bowes-Lyon died on February 27, 2016, aged just 58 after a “courageous battle with cancer”.

Lord Strathmore became the 18th Earl after succeeding his father, Fergus Bowes-Lyon in 1987 and was also the great-nephew of the Queen Mother and first cousin once removed of the Queen.

The earl’s recently published will has revealed he had a fortune valued at £39,388,550 at the time of his death.

His wealth included his £14m share of the Glamis estate and the £20m Holwick estate near Middleton-in-Teesdale.

His voluntary roles included being patron of both The Friends of the Bowes Museum Committee and the Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services (UTASS), both in County Durham; President of the Boys’ Brigade and a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Angus.

He also had a £143,000 motor vehicle collection which included Land Rovers, quads, a Bentley, articulated lorries and a fire engine.

The peer’s other assets included the household contents of Glamis Castle which were valued at £82,625, around £60,000 held in accounts with the Queen’s bank Coutts and a £1m share in a wind farm company based in Lanarkshire.

He instructed that his estate should be left to his widow Karen and his children.