Pamela Hicks, renowned for her connection to the British royal family, passed away on Friday at the age of 97. Her daughter, India Hicks, shared the news on social media without disclosing the location of her death.
Born in Barcelona at the Ritz Hotel, her entrance into the world involved the supervision of King Alfonso XIII of Spain during the appointment of her physician. Throughout her life, Pamela Hicks maintained ties with European nobility, highlighted by her attendance at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022.
As a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and a first cousin to Prince Philip, Pamela was deeply embedded in royal circles. Her father, Lord Louis Mountbatten, descended from Germany’s Battenberg dynasty, influenced King Charles III during his time as heir to the throne. Pamela, along with her sister Patricia, was a bridesmaid at Queen Elizabeth’s wedding in 1947.
Tragedy touched Pamela’s life in 1979 when her father died in a bombing by the Irish Republican Army. Her mother, Edwina Ashley, known for her beauty and wealth, had a colorful personal life, including relationships that modern observers might deem scandalous. One of Edwina’s lovers reportedly lived with the family, seemingly with her husband’s approval.
In 1947, the Mountbattens moved to New Delhi as Britain prepared to leave its colonial presence in India. Edwina reportedly developed a close bond with Indian leader Jawaharlal Nehru, who became the nation’s first prime minister. While some biographers suggested this relationship was sexual, Pamela Hicks consistently refuted these claims.
As Queen’s bridesmaid, cousin, and lady-in-waiting, Hicks experienced significant events and personal moments that intertwined her life with history. As an aide present in Africa when Princess Elizabeth became queen following her father’s death, Pamela witnessed a pivotal moment that shaped the future of the British monarchy.