King Charles could face a difficult decision this weekend as the
funeral of Lady Pamela Hicks is due to take place on the same day
as Trooping the Colour.
Lady Pamela, one of Queen Elizabeth II’s closest friends and
confidantes, will be laid to rest on Saturday afternoon at
Brightwell Baldwin Church in Oxfordshire following her death on 5
June at the age of 97.
However, her funeral is scheduled to begin at 3pm, just hours
after the conclusion of Trooping the Colour, the King’s official
birthday celebrations and one of the most important events in the
royal calendar.
Buckingham Palace has not confirmed whether the King or any
members of the Royal Family will attend the service.
The timing presents a potential diary conflict for Charles, who
is expected to lead the traditional military parade before
appearing on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside senior royals
for the RAF flypast.
While the main Trooping the Colour events are expected to
conclude by early afternoon, the logistics of travelling from
central London to rural Oxfordshire mean any attendance would
require careful planning.
The uncertainty comes just days after the King paid a warm
tribute to Lady Pamela following news of her death.
In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, Charles said he
was “greatly saddened” by her passing, describing his sorrow as
being “tempered by the fondest memories and deepest gratitude for
her long life and loyal service to Queen Elizabeth”.
He added that Lady Pamela’s “warmth, wit and perspicacity always
made such an impression” and said she would be “dearly missed by
all those who knew and loved her”.
Lady Pamela occupied a unique place in royal history.
Born Pamela Mountbatten in 1929, she was the younger daughter of
Lord Louis Mountbatten and Edwina Mountbatten and was a first
cousin of Prince Philip. Through her family connections she enjoyed
an extraordinarily close relationship with the Royal Family
throughout her life.
She served as a bridesmaid when Princess Elizabeth married
Philip in 1947 and later became a lady-in-waiting to the future
Queen.
In February 1952, she was accompanying Princess Elizabeth and
the Duke of Edinburgh in Kenya when news arrived that King George
VI had died. The moment marked the beginning of Elizabeth II’s
reign, making Lady Pamela one of the few people present at one of
the most significant turning points in modern royal history.
She remained a trusted friend of Queen Elizabeth II for decades
and was among the last surviving figures with direct memories of
the early years of the late Queen’s reign.
Whether members of the Royal Family will be able to attend her
funeral remains to be seen.
The service takes place as thousands gather in London for
Trooping the Colour, ensuring that even in death, Lady Pamela’s
farewell coincides with one of the monarchy’s most important
ceremonial occasions.