Hugh Lindsay (British Army officer)

Major Hugh Charles Lyttelton Lindsay, LVO (3 May 1953 – 10 March 1988) was Equerry to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1986. He was killed in an avalanche during a ski trip on 10 March 1988.[1]

Major

Hugh Charles Lyttelton Lindsay

LVO
Lindsay in the 80s
Born3 May 1953
Died10 March 1988 (age 35)
Klosters, Switzerland
Cause of deathAvalanche
EducationMillfield
Spouse(s)Sarah Brennan
Military career
Allegiance UK
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1983-1986 (active service)
RankMajor

Personal life

Lindsay was educated at Millfield. He married 33-year-old Sarah Brennan (MVO) in July 1987.[2] Princess Diana and Prince Edward attended the ceremony which was held at the Church of St. Nochola in Compton, Surrey.[3]

Military career

Lindsay was a major in the British army, when he was appointed an equerry to Queen Elizabeth II in October 1983.[3] He was a career soldier who served in the 9th/12th Royal Lancers and returned to full-time army service with the unit in 1986 after serving the Queen.[3] He was made an LVO (Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order) in 1986.

Death

Major Lindsay was killed on 10 March 1988, aged 34, in a ski accident after being caught up in an avalanche on Gotschnagrat Mountain while accompanying Charles, Prince of Wales, on a holiday in Klosters in Switzerland.[4] A regional avalanche warning was in effect that day above 5,280 feet and the group had been at about 6,000 feet prior to the avalanche.[5] Swiss authorities stated that the avalanche began about 300 feet above the group of six skiers, and that Lindsay and another member of the group; Patricia Palmer-Tomkinson, could not avoid the snow.[1] Both Lindsay and Palmer-Tomkinson were swept away by the avalanche and over a precipice.[6]

In an interview in 1992, Princess Diana claimed that she took charge of the arrangements after the accident as Prince Charles was in shock. The group flew back with the body on 12 March and was met with a guard of honour from his regiment.[7] His funeral took place on 17 March 1988 at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, with the Queen, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York in attendance.[8] His wife, Sarah Lindsay, was six[4] or seven[2] months pregnant at the time. She subsequently gave birth to a daughter, Alice Rose Lyttelton Lindsay on 14 May 1988.[8] She later remarried and took the last name Horsley.[9]

Investigation into death

A criminal inquiry was opened after the avalanche, to determine if Prince Charles should face charges for the accident, as in 1964 an Olympic skier in Switzerland was charged with homicide by negligence following the deaths of two skiiers in his charge.[10] Prince Charles was later cleared of potential charges and authorities announced that while they would file no criminal charges against the party, the group did cause the avalanche.[5]

Media depiction

Despite the concern of his widow, the death of Lindsay was portrayed in the Netflix drama The Crown in 2020 for its fourth season.[11] She reportedly wrote to the producers and asked them not to portray the accident, stating it was a private tragedy. In response the producers responded by stating that they understood her concerns but the accident would still be portrayed in the series as they deal with difficult subjects with integrity and great sensitivity.[8] His widow was horrified that the series depicted that accident and was concerned about the potential impact of the episode on her daughter.[12]

The episode titled Avalanche, focuses on the aftermath of the avalanche with real audio reporting of the event imposed over a long-distance shot of an avalanche, with no actor for Lindsay cast for the series.[13]

References
  1. "Prince Charles Escapes Avalanche, But Friend Killed". AP NEWS. 10 March 1988. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  2. Alderson, Andrew (16 March 2008). "My husband died on a royal skiing trip". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 16 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2010. Mrs [Sarah] Horsley, who was seven months pregnant with the couple's first child when disaster struck, has only just begun to feel mentally tough enough to satisfy her curiosity by flying to the Alps to see the spot where her husband was buried under a deluge of falling snow.
  3. "Major Killed in Avalanche Was Close Friend of Royal Family With AM-Royal Skiers, Bjt". AP NEWS. 10 March 1988. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  4. "1988: Avalanche hits royal ski party". BBC News. 10 March 1988.
  5. "Swiss Clear Prince Charles After Avalanche Inquiry". AP NEWS. 27 June 1988. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  6. Nicolaou, Elena (25 November 2020). "How an Avalanche Became a Turning Point for Charles and Diana's Marriage". Oprah Magazine. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  7. Sawer, Patrick; Singh, Anita (21 November 2020). "Widow condemns use of fatal Klosters ski disaster in The Crown". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  8. Dibdin, Emma (25 November 2020). "Prince Charles Is Godfather to His Friend Hugh Lindsay's Daughter". ELLE. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  9. Cook, Cynthia (25 November 2020). "Why An Episode of the Crown Has One Family Seeing Red". TheList.com. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  10. "Skier Charged With Homicide In Avalanche Death of Werner; Swiss Call Bogner Negligent in Handling Movie Project That Ended in Tragedy (Published 1964)". The New York Times. 9 June 1964. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  11. Hallemann, Caroline (22 November 2020). "The True Story of Prince Charles's Involvement in a Deadly Avalanche". Town & Country. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  12. Petit, Stephanie (25 November 2020). "Widow 'Horrified' by The Crown Featuring Her Husband's Death in Avalanche". People. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  13. Strong, Gemma (25 November 2020). "The Crown causes personal upset for heartbroken widow". HELLO!. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
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