King Charles, 77, reflects on his near-death experience
8/11/2026 2:01:03 PM
King Charles III offered a rare reflection on the avalanche that almost killed him and claimed the life of one of his close friends nearly 40 years ago.
The 77-year-old monarch reportedly spoke about the 1988 incident while hosting members of the Assynt Mountain Rescue Team at the Castle of Mey in Scotland on August 1.
During the conversation, Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales, reportedly described his survival in the avalanche as “a close thing.”
“He spoke of the near miss he had in that avalanche in the context of the dangers mountains contain,” Ben Dyson, the team’s leader, told The Times.
“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,” Dyson said.
The avalanche struck on March 10, 1988, while Charles and a group of friends were skiing off-piste above Klosters, Switzerland, a resort long favored by the royal family.
A wall of snow swept down the mountain, killing Major Hugh Lindsay, a former equerry to Queen Elizabeth II and a close friend of Charles.
Another member of the group, Patti Palmer-Tomkinson, suffered serious leg injuries.
Charles and other members of the party managed to escape the avalanche. They later returned with their guide and a Swiss police officer to help dig Lindsay and Palmer-Tomkinson out of the snow.
Lindsay was pronounced dead at a hospital in nearby Davos. He was 34.
Lindsay’s wife, Sarah, was six months pregnant when he died. Their daughter, Alice, was born later that year, with Charles becoming her godfather.
The tragedy has rarely been discussed publicly by the king in the decades since. He later wrote in a letter, “I still find it hard to understand why I survived and he didn’t,” The Guardian reported.
Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson were also on the ski trip but were at their chalet when the avalanche struck. Diana later said she had been sick with the flu and had stayed behind that day, narrowly avoiding the disaster.
Charles, who had been skiing since the 1960s, has since stepped away from the sport.
During a 2025 visit to England, he told a Swiss man, “I think my skiing days are behind me,” according to Hello! Magazine.
The 77-year-old monarch reportedly spoke about the 1988 incident while hosting members of the Assynt Mountain Rescue Team at the Castle of Mey in Scotland on August 1.
During the conversation, Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales, reportedly described his survival in the avalanche as “a close thing.”
“He spoke of the near miss he had in that avalanche in the context of the dangers mountains contain,” Ben Dyson, the team’s leader, told The Times.
“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,” Dyson said.
The avalanche struck on March 10, 1988, while Charles and a group of friends were skiing off-piste above Klosters, Switzerland, a resort long favored by the royal family.
A wall of snow swept down the mountain, killing Major Hugh Lindsay, a former equerry to Queen Elizabeth II and a close friend of Charles.
Another member of the group, Patti Palmer-Tomkinson, suffered serious leg injuries.
Charles and other members of the party managed to escape the avalanche. They later returned with their guide and a Swiss police officer to help dig Lindsay and Palmer-Tomkinson out of the snow.
Lindsay was pronounced dead at a hospital in nearby Davos. He was 34.
Lindsay’s wife, Sarah, was six months pregnant when he died. Their daughter, Alice, was born later that year, with Charles becoming her godfather.
The tragedy has rarely been discussed publicly by the king in the decades since. He later wrote in a letter, “I still find it hard to understand why I survived and he didn’t,” The Guardian reported.
Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson were also on the ski trip but were at their chalet when the avalanche struck. Diana later said she had been sick with the flu and had stayed behind that day, narrowly avoiding the disaster.
Charles, who had been skiing since the 1960s, has since stepped away from the sport.
During a 2025 visit to England, he told a Swiss man, “I think my skiing days are behind me,” according to Hello! Magazine.