A long-time friend of King Charles who served as the Queen Mother’s equerry died after becoming trapped between a wall and his bed while drunk, an inquest heard today.
Eton elder Ian Farquhar, 78, was found dead with his legs up on his bedside table at his home, a coroner’s court heard.
A coroner ruled that the retired Army captain, who loved horses and hunting, was probably trying to get out of his bed.
Mr Farquhar rose through the military ranks as part of the prestigious Queen’s Own Hussars cavalry regiment, becoming a Captain. While in the army, he also served as an equerry to the Queen’s Mother, attending public engagements with her.
His daughter, Victoria, revealed that she “drank a liter of gin and a couple of bottles of wine in a day.”
King Charles’s old friend Ian Farquhar was found dead with his legs up on the bedside table in his home.
Mr Farquhar drove regularly and dined with the monarch and Queen Camilla.
A coroner ruled that the retired Army captain, who loved horses and hunting, was probably trying to get out of his bed.
His daughter, Victoria (pictured), revealed that she “drank a liter of gin and a couple of bottles of wine in a day.”
The inquest found that in the final years of his life, Mr Farquhar (pictured with Charles) had problems with his health.
The inquest held at Salisbury Coroner’s Court, Wilts, found that Mr Farquhar’s blood alcohol level was 4.5 times the drink-driving limit when he died.
After leaving the army, he was master of the Beaufort hunt, one of the largest and oldest fox hunts in the United Kingdom, and also dined regularly with King Charles and Queen Camilla at their Highgrove residence in Gloucestershire.
The inquest found that in the final years of his life, Mr Farquhar had problems with his health, was unsteady and had to use a cane, as well as being unable to get up when he fell.
On March 6 this year, social worker Beth Gillingham arrived for Mr Farquhar’s daily visit and heard no answer when she called him when she entered his home near Chippenham, Wilts.
Mrs Gillingham went up to the bedroom and was unable to see the former hunter until she looked to the side of the bed and saw him trapped between the wall and her bed.
The carer checked for a pulse, but when she couldn’t find it, she called the police, who attended the scene and pronounced Mr Farquhar dead shortly after 1pm.
The inquest held at Salisbury Coroner’s Court, Wilts, found Mr Farquhar’s blood alcohol level was 4.5 times over the drink-driving limit when he died.
An empty bottle of Gordon’s gin, two empty bottles of wine and a half-empty bottle of whiskey were found at Mr Farquhar’s house.
The pathologist recorded the cause of death as postural asphyxiation, body inversion and alcohol toxicity, which was also adopted by the medical examiner.
At the inquest, a statement was read from Mr Farquhar’s daughter Victoria, who described her love of horses but said hunting was where her drinking problem began.
“He went to Eton, then joined the army and went to Sandhurst,” Mrs Farquhar said.
“He became the queen mother’s equerry, he said he was essentially the queen mother’s bodyguard.
‘He was a great horse lover and he would go hunting and then there would be dinner.
“The amount of drinking was considered normal for the activity, but as time went on we thought he had a drinking problem.” I drank a liter of gin and a couple of bottles of wine a day.
Captain Ian Farquhar leads the dogs along Worcester Avenue before Beaufort Hunt
An empty bottle of Gordon’s gin, two empty bottles of wine and a half-empty bottle of whiskey were found at Mr Farquhar’s house.
After leaving the army, he was master of the Beaufort Hunt, one of the largest and oldest fox hunts in the United Kingdom, and also dined regularly with King Charles and Queen Camilla at their Highgrove residence in Gloucestershire.
“He tried to quit and did for a couple of weeks – the doctors warned Ian that if he didn’t take care of himself he would die.”
Ms Farquhar explained that her father began falling in 2022 and the family contacted care agency Helping Hands, who visited for about an hour a day to provide Mr Farquhar with support and companionship.
Stuart White formed a close bond with Farquhar as his main carer and, in a statement, told the inquest that Farquhar would talk about his past but that he missed being able to look after dogs and horses.
Mr White said: ‘I visited him for an hour once a day, but our visits often lasted longer. He liked to chat, my role was to check on his well-being and general household chores.
‘Over time he let his guard down, we laughed and joked together, Ian often told me about his past.
“Ian had times when he became depressed due to his inability to do what he wanted, he loved looking after dogs and horses.”
Ms Farquhar explained that her father began suffering from falls in 2022 and the family contacted care agency Helping Hands, who would visit for around an hour a day to provide support and companionship to Mr Farquhar.
The investigation found White was on annual leave when Farquhar died, but went to the home to speak to police when the agency informed him of his death.
Wiltshire area coroner Ian Singleton recorded a finding of death by accident saying Farquhar had probably gotten out of bed in a “deliberate act” but had no intention of dying.
Singleton said: “Ian lived alone at Church Cottage, had a history of heavy drinking, had become unsteady and needed help getting up off the ground.”
‘On the morning of March 6, Ian was found dead by a carer between the wall and his bed with his feet in the air on the bedside table.
“It is unclear how he came to that position, but it appears to be the result of a deliberate act on his part that unintentionally led to his death.
“I convey to the family my deepest condolences for their loss.”