King Charles did not need many words to revisit one of the most traumatic experiences of his life.
While meeting mountain rescuers in Scotland, the monarch briefly acknowledged the 1988 incident that nearly killed him and claimed the life of his close friend, Major Hugh Lindsay.
His simple description of the incident carried the weight of a memory that has followed him for decades. More than 30 years later, King Charles’ personal connection to mountain rescue gave his meeting with the team an added significance.
5The avalanche remains one of the most serious dangers King Charles has personally encountered.
While speaking with members of the Assynt Mountain Rescue Team at the Castle of Mey, he discussed the risks associated with mountain rescue and reflected on his own experience.
Ben Dyson, the team’s leader, recalled that the monarch described his survival in remarkably understated terms.
“He said ‘it was a close thing’,” Dyson told The Times. The comment came as the Assynt Mountain Rescue Team marked its 50th anniversary on August 1.
King Charles was reportedly “very appreciative” of the rescuers’ work, with Dyson suggesting that surviving an avalanche himself had given the 77-year-old an understanding of just how dangerous mountain environments could become.
King Charles’ Narrow Escape Came At A Terrible Cost
5King Charles survived the 1988 avalanche, but the disaster claimed the life of someone close to him.
The incident occurred on March 10, 1988, when Charles, then Prince of Wales, was skiing off-piste with his party above Klosters in Switzerland.
An avalanche suddenly swept through the area, sending Major Hugh Lindsay, a former equerry to Queen Elizabeth, approximately 1,312 feet down the mountainside.
Patti Palmer-Tomkinson was also caught in the avalanche and suffered serious injuries. Charles and other members of the party reached safety, but they later returned to the site with their guide and a Swiss police officer in an effort to help locate those buried beneath the snow.
Lindsay and Palmer-Tomkinson were eventually taken by helicopter to hospital in Davos. Sadly, Lindsay was pronounced dead after arriving.
King Charles Has A Funny Response To 104-Year-Old Veteran’s Health Concern
5King Charles has been a topic of discussion over the last few months, especially due to his health. However, the monarch appears to be doing just fine.
During a meeting with 104-year-old World War II veteran James Fenton on the Isle of Man in July, Charles was on the receiving end of some heartfelt concern when Fenton admitted he was “always concerned” about the King’s health.
Rather than dwelling on the subject, King Charles responded with a joke about his advancing years. “It is terrible because bits keep dropping off!” he quipped per PEOPLE.
The exchange took place at Heroes On The Water Isle of Man, a charity supporting veterans, emergency service personnel and other uniformed public servants through outdoor activities.
King Charles Gets Encouraging Health Update As His Royal Schedule Returns To Normal
5While the public continues to worry about King Charles, his health appears to be moving in an encouraging direction, with doctors reportedly “very pleased with his progress” as he continues cancer treatment.
A royal source told Woman & Home that the monarch has been “on really good form” this year, with his royal engagements now “pretty much back to his pre-cancer levels.”
Courtiers had previously kept Fridays free for Charles to rest after his treatment began in February 2024, but he has continued taking on a demanding schedule.
He is still receiving treatment, reportedly thought to be immunotherapy, while doctors monitor his progress. Charles and Queen Camilla have now retreated to their Birkhall home in the Scottish Highlands for their summer break, where they will later welcome members of the wider royal family to Balmoral.
King Charles Reveals Rare Cancer Treatment Detail During Patient Encounter
5King Charles’ own experience with cancer has occasionally surfaced in his conversations with patients, and one exchange in May offered a rare glimpse into a side effect he appears to have experienced himself.
During a visit to Guy’s Cancer Center in London on May 11, the King met 69-year-old chemotherapy patient Raymond Burgess, who mentioned the unpleasant taste caused by his treatment.
Charles immediately related to the experience, telling him, according to The Telegraph, “It’s an awful sort of metallic taste.” He then added, “It doesn’t exactly help with eating.”
He was visiting the center as part of Guy’s Hospital’s 300th anniversary celebrations, where he also met medical professionals and learned about the use of artificial intelligence and robotics in cancer treatment.
