King Charles's previously unseen letter thanking police officer for saving his life is revealed

A 25-year-old letter has been unearthed revealing Charles, the then-Prince of Wales, wrote to a police officer to thank him for saving his life.

The previously unseen letter was written days after the prince was knocked unconscious when he fell from his horse during a polo match in Cirencester, on August 3, 2001.

In the letter written two days later, he thanked PC Richard Mansfield, who rushed to the prince’s help and administered first aid.

The policeman cleared the King’s airway as he swallowed his tongue after falling from the horse.

Charles thanked PC Mansfield for “coming to my aid on the polo ground,” and said “thank God for the good old police.”

The letter has emerged as it has been put on sale at Toovey’s Auctioneers of Washington, West Sussex, consigned by the policeman’s family. It has been estimated to sell for somewhere between £700 and £1000.

The King spoke about the accident a few years later in 2005, alongside Prince William and Prince Harry.

He recalled: “I had to turn the pony very fast, and the next thing... the pony came down sideways and I must have landed absolutely smack on my head.”

His Majesty said that Harry believed he was “just snoring,” adding, “There I was busily swallowing my tongue, quietly dying!”

The King was an avid polo player before retiring from the sport in 2005.

He has described the sport as his “one great extravagance”, but the sport has not been without its injuries for the royal.

In 1980, he was launched from a horse and kicked during a match in Windsor. The incident required six stitches and left a scar across the King’s cheek.

Harry spoke about his father’s injury in his book, Spare, writing: “As a boy, I’d seen Pa take that same fall, the horse giving way, the ground simultaneously smacking and swallowing him.

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“I remembered thinking: ‘Why’s Pa snoring? And then someone yelling ‘He’s swallowed his tongue!’”

Auctioneer Nick Toovey said: “Paramedics were down the other end of the polo field, so had it not been for the quick response of the police, King Charles would have been in serious trouble.

“He swallowed his tongue, so the policeman put his finger in and pulled it out with his medical training.

“There are not that many letters out there where the King thanks someone for saving his life.”

Harry is also a keen player of the sport and produced a documentary following the sport for Netflix.

The letter is set to be auctioned on February 25.

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