Long before he ascended the throne, King Charles survived an unthinkable tragedy that nearly claimed his life and tragically took the life of a close personal friend.
While skiing in the Swiss Alps, an unexpected avalanche swept down the mountain, narrowly missing the future monarch but fatally trapping a member of his inner circle. Decades later, the king has opened up about the harrowing ordeal, reflecting on the frightening moment that forever altered his life.
King Charles and the Avalanche That Killed Major Hugh Lindsay
The Times UK shared a series of quotes from King Charles discussing the life-altering moment that occurred in 1988, when he was married to Princess Diana.
Charles welcomed members of the Assynt Mountain Rescue Team to the Castle of Mey to celebrate 50 years of service. At that time, the royal took a moment to reflect on his own harrowing near-miss, 38 years prior.
“[The King] spoke of the near miss he had in that avalanche in the context of the dangers mountains contain,” team leader Ben Dyson admitted. “He said ‘it was a close thing.'”
Dyson added, “Obviously, after all these years, it is still much in his memory. But it had given him an insight into the valuable work we do and the dangers we face.”
Details of the Tragedy That Killed King Charles’ Close Friend
GettyBack in March 1988, what was supposed to be a relaxing ski getaway in Klosters, Switzerland, turned into an absolute nightmare for the royal family. Prince Charles and his friends ventured off a regular ski slope when an unexpected wall of snow came rushing down toward them, reported the BBC.
The sudden avalanche swept over the party, missing the future king, but causing the passing of his close friend and former royal equerry, Major Hugh Lindsay. Despite desperate efforts to dig through the heavy snow, the 34-year-old officer did not survive. Patti Palmer-Tomkinson, suffered serious leg injuries in the accident
The devastating loss sent shockwaves through the royal household and left Charles profoundly shaken. The BBC reported, “As soon as the danger had passed, Prince Charles, the guide and a Swiss police officer, who was skiing with the party, raced back to help the victims, digging with their bare hands in the snow to reach them.”
Diana Recalled the Tragedy in Her Memoir
Photo by Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty ImagesPrincess Diana recalled how shaken her then-husband, King Charles, was in her memoir “Diana: Her True Story.” In the 1992 book, the Princess of Wales shared her experiences that day.
Town & Country reprinted an excerpt from the book. Diana claimed she was with Sarah Ferguson back at their residence when she heard a helicopter. A royal aide said, “There’s been an accident, and one of the party is dead.”
Diana continued, “Fergie and I were closer to Hugh than Charles ever was. Hugh just felt sorry for Charles. He was very good with all the members of my husband’s family; he was always a star trouper.”
She claimed it was she who insisted the holiday be cut short and the royals should accompany Lindsay’s body home to his wife.
Diana concluded, “We arrived back at Northholt, and we had Hugh’s coffin in the bottom of the airplane, and Sarah was waiting, six months pregnant and it was a ghastly sight, just chilling.”
