9. Viceroy's House Part 2; The Build Towards Indian Partition

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.  

India is joined by a very special guest, Tina Brown, award-winning journalist, author, founder of the Women in the World summits and former editor-in-chief of Tatler, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker sonf more. Awarded a CBE in 2007 for services to journalism she founded Women in the World in 2009 as a live platform for female leaders, CEO’s, celebrities, and global activists. Tina has popped in for afternoon tea with India and Lady Pamela and also for this inspirational chat with India. Like we always say…there's no studio, no formalities just good conversation. 

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.

We’re sitting in the drawing room of Lady Pamela Hicks’ home in Oxfordshire having a generally very informal conversation about Lady Pamela’s memories of living through some pretty extraordinary and now historic times. It’s just India, Lady Pamela and me – Lisa the producer recording it and putting it all together – we’ve chosen to have no studio, no formalities just conversation and plenty of tea and cake. In this, the third of our Viceroy’s House episodes Lady Pamela, now 18, recalls the euphoria and subsequent difficulties after Indian partition when her father, Lord Mountbatten was doing what he knew was the ‘impossible job’ as the last Viceroy of India. In the now very tense aftermath of partition Lady Pamela, along with her mother Lady Louis Mountbatten, are still working in the refugee camps and Lord Mountbatten is working flat out. But the political and social situation is very challenging, Gandhi starts his hunger strike and yes we do talk about the friendship between Indian Prime Minister Nehru and Lady Edwina.

In the second Viceroy’s House episode Lady Pamela regales more of her incredible memories as a teenager living in India when her father, Lord Mountbatten, was given what he knew was the ‘impossible job’ as the last Viceroy of India. In the now very tense build up to Indian partition 18 year old Lady Pamela and her mother Lady Louis Mountbatten are still working in the refugee camps, have become close friends with Gandhi and Indian Prime Minister Nehru and witness some of the intense highs and lows of this challenging time. 

When her father, Lord Mountbatten was given what he knew was the ‘impossible job’ as the last Viceroy of India, Lady Pamela, still only 17, along with her mother, knuckled down to work. They spent time in the refugee camps, sat spellbound at meetings with Gandhi and Nehru and had a front row seat at one of the most challenging times in Indian and British history. Lady Pamela tells us, through the eyes of a teenager, what it was like to witness this extraordinary period in time in another un-missable episode of the India Hicks Podcast.

This is a special episode of the India Hicks Podcast on which India tells us of the traumatic events surrounding the hurricane in the Bahamas, the place she calls home, and how we can support these wonderful islands and people. Amongst many organisations, charities and foundations offering support, we are highlighting the group that was first to deliver relief to those hit hardest by Hurricane Dorian, a team of private sector captains and medics dispatched immediately into those hard to reach areas and the NGO founded by the heroes from the North Eleuthera evacuee efforts. Please consider donating to their essential work, as they continue to strive for long-term support on the ground as communities begin to rebuild.   www.idearelief.org