John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever of Hever, "of Hever Castle, in the County of Kent". In 1962, he moved from England to France. He died on 19 July 1971 in Cannes, France. Selected artworks from the family's vast collection were bequeathed to the National Gallery including the prized ""Thames below Westminster"" by Claude Monet. John Jacob V and Violet are buried together on the grounds of Hever Castle, which, since 1983, has been owned by Broadland Properties Limited and is a major tourist attraction. Eldest son Gavin succeeded him as Baron. John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever Lieutenant-Colonel John Jacob Astor V, 1st
Guy Hever surmised that he had gone AWOL and had subsequently committed suicide, citing his upcoming courtmartial and a history of previous clashes with commanding officers. Both the military and the police searched for him, including with divers, dogs, robots and aircraft, but no trace of his body or weapon was ever found. They refused to classify Hever as a missing soldier for three years. His mother however was convinced from the beginning that her son was kidnapped by Syrian forces, although the Syrian government consistently ignored overtures from former US president Jimmy Carter, former Israeli and Syrian US ambassador Edward Djerejian