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

Old Etonian Ian Farquhar, 78, was found dead with his legs up in the air above his bedside table at his home.

Captain Ian Farquhar leads the Beaufort Hunt as they ride out from Worcester LodgeCredit: Alamy

3

The then Prince of Wales (left) hunting near Tetbury in 2006 with Mr FarquharCredit: PA

Mr Farquhar at the traditional boxing day hunt near Badminton, GloucestershireCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
A coroner ruled that the retired Army Captain, who loved horses and hunting, was probably trying to move off his bed.

Mr Farquhar rose through the ranks of the military as part of the prestigious cavalry regiment the Queen’s Own Hussars becoming a Captain.

While in the army he also served as equerry to the Queen’s Mother attending public engagements with her.

After leaving the army he was the Master of the Beaufort Hunt – one of the largest and oldest fox hunts in the UK.

He also regularly dined with King Charles and Queen Camilla at their Highgrove residence in Gloucestershire.

The inquest heard that in the last few years of his life Mr Farquhar struggled with his health.

He was unsteady on his feet and had to use a walking stick as well as being unable to pull himself up when he had a fall.

On March 6 this year, care worker Beth Gillingham arrived for Mr Farquhar’s daily visit.

She heard no response as she called out to him when she entered his home near Chippenham, Wiltshire.

Ms Gillingham went up to the bedroom and could not see the former huntsman until she looked down the side of the bed and saw him trapped between the wall and his bed.

The carer checked for a pulse but when she could not find one she called the police who attended the scene and pronounced Mr Farquhar dead just after 1pm.

The inquest held at Salisbury Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Farquhar’s blood alcohol level was 4.5 times over the drink drive limit when he died.

An empty bottle of Gordon’s gin, two empty wine bottles and a half empty bottle of whisky were found in Mr Farquhar’s home.

The pathologist recorded postural asphyxia, inversion of the body and alcohol toxicity as the cause of death, which was also adopted by the coroner.

At the inquest, a statement was read out from Mr Farquhar’s daughter, Victoria, who described his love of horses but said that hunts are where his drinking problem began.

“He went to Eton then joined the military and went to Sandhurst,” Ms Farquhar said.

“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.”

Area Coroner for Wiltshire Ian Singleton recorded a conclusion of death by misadventure.

He said that Mr Farquhar had probably moved off the bed in a “deliberate act” but he had not intended to die.