Prince Charles skiing Accident
In March 1988 Prince Charles and Princess Diana were skiing with a group of friends who were caught in a tragic avalanche. Prince Charles was himself not caught in the avalanche, but was on the affected ski slope when it happened. Luckily Princess Diana had decided to stay off the slopes on that particular day.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana were on one of their regular, annual ski holidays to the luxurious and expensive ski resort of Klosters in the Austrian Alps. The couple were on holiday with friends and family of the Royals including Major Lindsay, a former equerry to the Queen, as well as two Swiss friends Mr and Mrs Palmer-Tomkinson. The group had ventured off-piste, away from the designated ski runs of the resort, to find some deeper, fresh, untouched snow when the avalanche happened. Prince Charles was thought to be the most experienced skier in the group, though it was ultimately concluded that he was not responsible for members of the group dying.
Cause of Prince Charles skiing accident
The avalanche Prince Charles was involved in was ultimately caused due to a build-up of fresh snowfall the previous day, with the group ignoring avalanche warnings issued by the resort. The group proceeded to ski in the dangerous and potential avalanche area. When the accident took place, Prince Charles and the others in the group who weren't caught up in the avalanche immediately moved to help try and dig their friends out of the snow. Major Lindsay died at the scene.
Despite a plea from the widow of Major Lindsay who tragically died in the avalanche accident, the event was portrayed in the 4th series of The Crown. No public comment from the Royal family has been made on the subject, though on a more general note they are said to follow the series closely.
Avalanches in the mountains during Winter are not uncommon and can be caused from a number of different reasons. The main cause of an avalanche is heavy snowfall, though avalanches are often set off by temperature increases which cause the snow to melt or else by other skiers or climbers further up the mountain who may disturb or loosen the snow. It is reported that Prince Charles and Princess Diana always wore avalanche beacons when they were out skiing in case they were to get caught in an avalanche. This is extremely important to do if skiing off-piste or outside any marked trails, in case an avalanche gets triggered. Ensure all the correct avalanche gear is carried if you are venturing off-piste and away from the mark ski pistes.
When Was Prince Charles Skiing Accident?
Prince Charles accident took place on 10th March 1988 in a ski resort called Klosters in the Austrian Alps, during a ski trips with friends and family of the royals.
Where Does Prince Charles Go Skiing?
Klosters is and always has been the chosen skiing destination for the British Royal family. This dates back 30 years. After the skiing accident took place, the Royal family continued to visit Klosters as their chosen ski holiday destination despite the event that took place. Prince Charles has taken both William and Harry on holiday to Klosters numerous times throughout the 90’s and 2000’s. Both Harry and William appear to enjoy skiing at the resort also, as Harry spent much of his gap year at the ski resort, while William and Kate’s first public photograph together was snapped at Klosters back in 2004. The Royals are known to be very specific with the accommodation chosen for their ski holidays to Klosters, having stayed at Chalet Eugenia for the past 3 decades.