King Charles’ longtime friend Ian Farquhar, renowned huntsman, passed away at home at the age of 78.

He was also the Queen Mother’s equerry and even served in the Queen’s Own Hussars, a cavalry regiment of the British Army.

The King, who is already dealing with his own cancer diagnosis, suffers yet another blow. At the age of 87, Lord (Jacob) Rothschild passed away recently.

Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles, first husband and friend of queen Camilla, told the Mail’s Richard Eden that the situation was ‘very sad’ and that Farquhar had been in poor health for the past few months.

He described his friend as ‘wild as a hawk in his youth, but always great fun’. Parker Bowles added that ‘The Captain’, as Farquhar was known, will be ‘judged by history as one of the great Masters of Hounds’.

Farquhar and Charles became intertwined further when Prince William briefly dated Rose Farquhar in 2000 after he finished his A-levels at Eton.