Prince Charles faces past trauma as he revisits the scene of heartbreak that almost claimed his life

Prince Charles faced his past trauma as he returned to the scene of heartbreak that almost claimed his life just days after recovering from Covid-19.

• The Prince of Wales narrowly escaped being injured or killed in a devastating avalanche at Klosters resort in 1988. 
• The disaster claimed his close friend Major Hugh Lindsay’s life and Prince Charles revisited the resort last month after his Covid-19 recovery. 
• This royal news comes as Meghan Markle was compared to 'federal judge or elected official' as she navigates 'uncharted territory as a Black woman'. 

The confirmation from Clarence House that Prince Charles tested positive for Covid-19 for a second time left fans shocked last month, as the future king entered self-isolation and cancelled upcoming engagements. Just days later, Duchess Camilla tested positive herself, with Buckingham Palace later announcing that the Queen also has Covid and was experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms”. Since then the Prince of Wales has resumed royal duties, though Prince Charles’ first appearance after isolation divided fans. 

And it seems as February drew to an end, Prince Charles decided to take a brief vacation to Switzerland. According to the Daily Mail, his chosen destination was Klosters Ski Resort and this is one location that could well have brought back many traumatic memories of an incident that almost claimed his life and saw his close friend lose his. 

The publication alleged that the Prince of Wales was back in Klosters to take a ski trip and that a source claimed he was scheduled to have that week off. Instead, after time spent in self-isolation, they suggested that Prince Charles cut his visit short to “catch up” on work. 

But whilst the ski resort is a beautiful destination and the perfect choice for ski-lovers like Prince Charles, it was also the site of one of the most terrifying moments in his life. Back in 1988, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Sarah Ferguson and other friends visited Klosters for vacation. 

Two of these friends were Major Hugh Lindsay, former equerry to the Queen, and Patricia Palmer-Tomkinson.  In a devastating turn of events one day the ski party were caught in an avalanche on March 10th, with Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson not on the slopes. 

As reported by The Guardian at the time, Buckingham Palace reportedly explained that the avalanche started above the royal party and they were able to avoid the oncoming ice and snow, all except Hugh and Patricia. Patricia’s leg was injured and Hugh lost his life on the slope that day. 

The pair were said to have been caught in a sudden slide of snow, with eye-witnesses claiming that Prince Charles was visibly distressed as a helicopter lifted him off the slope. The publication added that the eldest of the Queen’s children was also involved in attempting to dig Hugh out from the snow.

This horrific incident was something Netflix’s The Crown included in season 4, with the episode titled simply, ‘Avalanche’. In the decades since it happened Prince Charles has visited Klosters multiple times, though it’s likely that trips to the resort remain tinged with great heartbreak after that terrible day.