King Charles' longtime friend Ian Farquhar 'died after getting trapped while drunk'

Ian Farquhar, 78, was found dead with his legs up in the air above his bedside table at his home, a coroner's court heard - and was a close pal of King Charles

A lifelong friend of King Charles died after being trapped between a wall and his bed while drunk, an inquest heard today.

Ian Farquhar, an accomplished huntsman, was found dead with his legs in the air next to his bedside table at his home, a coroner's court heard. The retired Army Captain is believed to have attempted to move off his bed when he got stuck.

Farquhar served as the Queen Mother's equerry and in the Queen's Own Hussars, a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and reportedly became close friends with King Charles when Prince William dated his daughter, Rose Farquhar, in 2000 after completing his A-levels at Eton.

At the inquest, Mr Farquhar's daughter, Victoria, spoke of his love of horses, but said that he developed a drinking problem through hunting. 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. He liked to chat, my role was to check on his wellbeing and general housework tasks.

"Over time he let his guard down, we laughed and joked together, Ian would often tell me about his past. Ian had moments when he was depressed due to his inability to do what he wanted to do, he had loved looking after dogs and horses."

Area Coroner for Wiltshire, Ian Singleton, ruled that Mr Faquhar died 'by misadventure', adding he likely moved from his bed in a "deliberate act" but did not intend to die. He said: "Ian lived alone at Church Cottage, he had a past history of drinking to excess, he had become unsteady and needed assistance getting off the floor.

"On the morning of March 6 Ian was found deceased by a carer between the wall and his bed with his feet in the air above the bedside table. It is unclear how he came to be in that position but it would appear it is the result of a deliberate act on his part that unintentionally led to his death.

"I pass onto the family my sincere condolences for their loss."