“My mother’s arrival into this world was a surprise. My grandmother, despite being eight months pregnant, had no intention of stopping during her holiday in Spain, when suddenly it became clear to her that the baby’s arrival could be more imminent than expected. In 1929 my mother was born at the Ritz Hotel in Barcelona, delivered by an ENT doctor, the only doctor they could find, and slept in a dog kennel until a more suitable solution was found. A start robust for an oak life. Today my mother is 95 years old.
Who are we talking about? Of Elizabeth II’s best friend. Of the cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Of the last living direct descendant of Queen Victoria. Of the youngest daughter of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, last Viceroy of India, and his wife, Edwina Mountbatten. Many definitions for a single woman: Lady Pamela Hicks, who turned 95 on April 19 and celebrated them wrapped in an incredible silk cape dress by Suzannah London, posing for her daughter, the designer India Hicks, who then posted the portrait on Instagram.
This aristocrat has spent her life at the epicenter of British royal history and has stories to tell, starting with the one about her tumultuous birth at the Ritz Hotel in Barcelona. In the past, he had in fact added details to the story now summarized by his daughter, such as the role played by Alfonso XIII, then king of Spain, in her coming into the world: Lord Mountbatten did not trust the ability of the ENT doctor to assist his wife’s birth, so he decided to contact his cousin, Queen Victoria Eugenie, for help. The request became an order given directly by King Alfonso XIII and so the obstetrics specialist was found quickly, but was stopped upon his arrival at the hotel by the guards, suspicious of the enormous bag he was carrying with him. Ultimately, Lady Pamela was born without his help. Alfonso XIII agreed to be her godfather at baptism.
At 95 years old, Lady Pamela Hicks is one of the last people who retain memories of Elizabeth II in her first years on the throne. The lady was her maid of honor at her wedding to Prince Philip and then began to serve her as a lady-in-waiting, accompanying her on her travels around the world. He was also with her on the day Elizabeth became queen following the death of King George VI, news the 25-year-old princess received while on tour in Africa: “’Poor girl, her father is dead,’ I thought. So I went to her and hugged her. But then I said to myself, ‘My God, she’s the queen now!’, so I bowed,” she said.
In 1960, Lady Pamela married one of the most prestigious interior designers of the last century, David Hicks, with Princess Anne as one of her bridesmaids; for him she leaves her queen and moves to Oxfordshire, where she becomes the mother of three children – Edwina, Ashley and India – and where she still resides today.
What a fairytale life, you might say… not so much. One day his father and other members of his family (including his younger brother Nicholas, 14 years old) go out in a boat for fishing and are blown up: it was 27 August 1979, the day on which the IRA claimed responsibility for the assassination of that Lord Mountbatten of which the then Prince Charles was so fond. Lady Pamela was not with them on the boat, but she witnessed everything from the shore and had to identify the body of her father. The event made her tough, together with the teachings of Gandhi, whom she met while living in India with her parents, and the example of firmness given to her by her grandmother, Princess Victoria of Hesse who saw her sisters die: Alexandra, Tsarina of Russia, and Elizabeth, Grand Duchess, murdered together with Tsar Nicholas II and 5 grandchildren during the Russian Revolution.
Royal families: stay tuned!
If you are passionate about the theme of “real families”, the story continues with due podcast – one dedicated to the iconic Queen Elizabeth II, “The Queen at 70”, and one to the unforgettable Lady D, “Diana Forever” – a tag (Real) it’s a free newsletter, Royality Show, than playing on the crasis between words royals e reality show every week opens a pop window on the most glamorous monarchies in the world. Stories, curiosities and behind the scenes of the stories featuring queens and sovereigns, princes and princesses, duchesses and countesses. The crown at tea time, every Thursday at your home. To register for free click here: La Repubblica.
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– 2024-04-28 01:56:18
