After a long battle with illness, Ian Farquhar, a personal friend of King Charles, died at the cottage he had rented on the Highgrove Estate. He was renowned as a top huntsman in Britain and had a wicked sense of humor.
Farquhar was a popular and amiable equerry to The Queen Mother when he was a young army officer, and he was also highly recognized and admired by the hunting communities in the UK and USA.
He had lived to be 78 years old when he died.
After Farquhar and King Charles had a brief relationship, their friendship continued into their children’s connection with one another. In the year 2000, during Prince William’s school break, he and Rose, Farquhar’s daughter, enjoyed a delightful getaway in the picturesque countryside of Gloucestershire, making memories that will last a lifetime. The Prince calls her his “first love.” In 2022, William was present at her nuptials to George Gemmell.
Andrew Parker Bowles, the first husband of Queen Camilla, expressed his condolences to Daily Mail reporter Richard Eden, calling the huntsman’s death “very sad” and mentioning that the monarch’s health had been deteriorating for a while. His companion was “as wild as a hawk in his youth, but always great fun,” according to Bowless.
“Judged by history as one of the great Master of Hounds,” he said, referring to Farquhar, who “never took himself too seriously.”
Being Master of the Beaufort Hunt—the oldest and biggest in the West Country—was Farquhar’s main claim to fame as a huntsman.
Posting a carousel of Farquhar at various points in his life with the caption, “It is with broken hearts we send our love and condolences to the family and friends of our own Captain Ian Farquhar, who so brilliantly piloted us for 34 years and passed away peacefully this week,” the Beaufort Hunt paid tribute to Farquhar on their Instagram page.
‘Captain,’ as he was affectionately called, was treasured by all members of the hunting community. He was a rock-solid sounding board, a generous confidant, and a fountain of insightful, future-oriented wisdom, according to the post.
“Anyone fortunate enough to spend time with him and listen to stories of his incredibly diverse and exciting life in the army and the hunting world will always remember those experiences fondly because of his wicked sense of humor.”