Pays de galles

1988 · 163409 — 28 March 1988. I still find it hard to understand why I survived and he didn't The future King Charles III writes with grief and shock after his close friend Major Hugh Lindsay was killed in an avalanche at Klosters in 1988 where Charles narrowly escaped with his own life. "Dear Mr. Marrington All I can say is that I was deeply touched by your incredibly kind thought in writing to me as you did following that appalling tragedy the other day. I have been utterly overwhelmed by the wonderful encouraging letters I have received and yours was particularly special and comforting. We shall all miss dear old Hugh quite enormously. He was a thoroughly special person and someone who won endless friends wherever he went. I still find it hard to understand why I survived and he didn't but that I suppose is part of the unfathomable mystery of our existence. Thank you more than I can say for such a wonderful letter. Yours most sincerely Charles". Hugh Lindsay was Equerry to Elizabeth II and a close friend of Charles. Charles and Diana regularly vacationed at the Klosters ski resort in Switzerland and in March 1988 were joined by Lindsay and others. An avalanche on the 14 March swept Lindsay off a precipice. Charles was on the same slope but avoided the avalanche. He afterwards was part of the group which dug out Lindsay who was pronounced dead on arrival after being airlifted to a Davos hospital. The event received worldwide media attention with Charles widely reported as being in shock. Much popular writing has placed the event as deepening the divide between Charles and Diana claiming that Diana blamed Charles for the event as he led the group down a challenging slope despite an avalanche warning earlier that day. Diana formed a close friendship with Lindsay's widow Sarah Horsley in the weeks following the disaster. The episode "Avalanche" in the Netflix series The Crown focuses on the disaster. The letter dated two weeks following the event and one week following Lindsay's funeral was written in response to the condolences of Robert Morrington 1900-1992 a long-serving member of the royal staff. Marrington served the Royal Family throughout his long life joining their staff in October 1925 and retiring in 1973 having served four monarchs. From 1939 he was tapissier in charge at Sandringham a position also held by his father. He remained in contact with the Royal Family after his retirement and the Queen sent a wreath to his funeral see notice in Lynn Advertiser 11 December 1992. Marrington collected various mementoes of the Royal Family including letters from Charles relating to the birth of Prince William and his marriage to Diana. These were sold by his family after his death with this letter appearing at auction in 2005 and gathering some press attention including coverage by the Daily Mail "Heartfelt letter from Prince Charles goes under the hammer" 9 June 2005. Typed letter signed 253 x 207 mm on the Prince of Wales's Kensington Palace letterhead. Light creasing from handling almost imperceptible adhesion on verso where formally mounted. A very good example. unknown