King Charles’ friend Ian Farquhar ‘found with legs in the air’ as family reveal amount he was drinking
A friend of King Charles who died after getting stuck between his bed and a wall whilst drunk had “a past history of drinking to excess”, loved-ones revealed at an inquest this week.
Retired Army Captain Ian Farquhar was found dead with his legs in the air next to his bedside table at his home, a coroner’s court heard. The 78-year-old was an accomplished huntsman who reportedly became close friends with Charles when William dated his daughter, Rose Farquhar, in 2000 after completing his A-levels at Eton.
A coroner ruled that Mr Farquhar was likely trying to move off his bed when he got stuck. At the inquest, Mr Farquhar’s daughter, Victoria, said the family suspected that he developed a drinking problem through hunting and that doctors had warned “he would die” if he didn’t take care of himself.
She said: “He went to Eton then joined the military and went to Sandhurst. He became the queen mother’s equerry, he said he was essentially the queen mother’s bodyguard. He was a huge lover of horses and would go on hunts where there would be a dinner afterwards.
“The amount of drinking was considered normal for the activity but as time went on we thought he had a drinking problem. He would drink a litre of gin and a couple of bottles of wine in a day. He did try and stop and he would for a couple of weeks, doctors advised Ian that if he did not look after himself he would die.”
She added that the 78-year-old began to suffer falls in 2022, after which the family got in touch with care agency Helping Hands who came to visit roughly an hour a day to provide support and companionship. Mr Farquhar’s carer, Stuart White, formed a close relationship with the dad and told the court he missed being able to take care of his dogs and horses. Mr White, who was on annual leave when the fall happened, said: “I visited for an hour once a day but our visits often ran longer.
