Who was Captain Ian Farquhar? King Charles’ close friend died at 78 at his Highgrove estate

Captain Ian Farquhar, a longtime friend of King Charles and Camilla, passed away on Wednesday, February 6, at his Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire. Farquhar had rented a farmhouse on the estate, The Sun reported.

Besides being the King’s friend, Ian Farquhar was a renowned huntsman who had served in the Queen’s Own Hussars, a cavalry regiment in the British Army.

The Instagram post uploaded by Beaufort Hunt on Thursday sent condolences to the friends and family of “our own Captain Ian Farquhar, who passed away peacefully this week.” The post further said:

“Captain’s passions in life were hounds, his family and dogs – of which we know there’ll be a whole pack waiting for him up there thrilled to be in his company again. A true countryman and a true gent – he will be hugely missed.”

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Captain Ian Farquhar was the master of the Beaufort Hunt for over three decades

Captain Ian Farquhar was born in 1946. Little is known of this parentage and childhood to the public, but his life as an adult was well-lived, described as that of a “true gent” by the Beaufort Hunt.

The captain was first acquainted with the king when he became Queen Mother’s equerry. After he left the army life behind, Farquhar got married to Pammie Jane Chafer. The couple had three daughters together.

His friendship with the King deepened around the 2000s, when Prince William briefly dated the captain’s daughter, Rose Farquhar, after finishing his A-levels at Eton. William first met Rose at the Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire; the Prince would describe her as his “first love” at the time, the Daily Mail reported.

Even after having parted ways romantically, the Prince and Rose Farquhar continue to be friends to this day. William even attended her wedding in 2022. After some time, the captain got separated from Pammie-Jean. Before his death, they were friends, but they lived separately.

Another great achievement of Ian Farquhar’s life is that he was the Master of the Beaufort Hunt for 34 years. The Beaufotr Hunt is the largest and oldest fox hunt in the West Country. After fox hunting became illegal in 2004, the Hunting Act allowed trail hunting for groups using the scent of animals.

The news of Farquhar’s death comes at a time when King Charles is in treatment for an undisclosed cancer that was diagnosed earlier in 2024. While he has postponed all public-facing engagements at the moment, he continues to carry out audiences from behind the palace walls.

Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles, the first husband and friend of Queen Camilla, shared with the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden that the situation was “very sad” and that he had been in poor health for the past few months.