Show Notes
We're sitting in the drawing room of Lady Pamela Hicks' home in Oxfordshire hearing Lady Pamela's stories of living through some pretty extraordinary and now historic times. It's just India, Lady Pamela and Lisa the producer; no studio, no formalities just conversation, tea and cake. In the last of our Viceroy's House episodes Lady Pamela recalls the sadness of coming to the end of their stay in India, a country she had grown to love, leaving the many people who had become very dear to her and the family and their bittersweet arrival back home.
More from The India Hicks Podcast
From a life shaped by duty, service, family and faith, Lady Pamela shares the values that have guided her through extraordinary chapters of history: unwavering loyalty, quiet endurance, curiosity, kindness, and a deep belief in understanding others. With warmth, wit and wisdom, she reflects on the lessons passed down through generations which have guided her through her extraordinary 96 years — and why, even in grief, we must keep moving forward, always turning our faces to the sun. 'Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you'.
When the future Queen Elizabeth was due to be married to Lady Pamela's cousin, Philip, Lady Pamela was chosen as a bridesmaid. The wedding of the future Queen was of course a major international event and broadcast on radio to millions around the world. Inside Westminster Abbey were two thousand guests, including seven queens and six kings, and the 18 year old Lady Pamela, busy alongside her fellow bridesmaids dealing with broken tiaras, lost bouquets and much more…
We're sitting in the drawing room of Lady Pamela Hicks' home in Oxfordshire listening intently to Lady Pamela's mesmerising stories. It's just India and her mother Lady Pamela and Lisa the producer recording it and putting it all together. We've chosen to have no studio, no formalities just plenty of conversation and of course tea and cake. This episode is all about Princess Alice, mother to Prince Philip and of course mother in law of Queen Elizabeth, a lady who lived a remarkable life in some turbulent and challenging periods of history. She was born in Windsor Castle, in the presence of her Great Grandmother Queen Victoria, and later married Prince Andrew of Greece. Her two aunts - Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Tsarina Alexandra - were both killed in the Russian Revolution and her daughter Cecile died in a plane crash. She was exiled twice and during During World War II and sheltered a family from the Nazis. Following a religious crisis she spent some years in a sanatorium in Switzerland and later established an order of nuns, living a life of extreme frugality dedicated to raising money for charity. As Lord Mountbatten's older sister she was of course Lady Pamela's aunt and on this episode Lady Pamela tells us some of her memories of the remarkable chain-smoking, canasta playing Princess Alice.
The concluding episode in our two part series about Lady Louis Mountbatten, one of the most intriguing and intelligent debutants of her day and of course mother to Lady Pamela and grandmother to India. Born Edwina Ashley she was the goddaughter of Edward VII and heiress to a vast fortune. She married Louis Mountbatten, great grandson of Queen Victoria, in 1922 and in this episode Lady Pamela explores how the war years and her role as the last Vicereine of India transformed her mother from a party-loving socialite to the formidably powerful and intuitive force she became.
We're sitting in the drawing room of Lady Pamela Hicks' home in Oxfordshire listening intently to Lady Pamela's mesmerising stories. It's just India, Lady Pamela and Lisa the producer who's recording it and putting it all together. We've chosen to have no studio, no formalities just conversation and plenty of tea and cake. This episode is all about Lady Louis Mountbatten, one of the most intriguing and intelligent debutants of her day, mother to Lady Pamela and grandmother to India. Born Edwina Ashley she was the goddaughter of Edward VII and heiress to a vast fortune. Already very much in the public eye, her wedding to Louis Mountbatten, great grandson of Queen Victoria, in 1922 cemented this powerful couple's place in British society. In episode one of two, Lady Pamela explores her mother's glamorous years of parties and travels, her life and loves, and the way in which the war years changed her from a party-loving socialite to the formidably powerful and intuitive woman she became.