Lady Pamela Hicks, one of the best friends of Queen Elizabeth
II, has died. She was 97 years old.
Her death was announced by her daughter, India Hicks, soon after
her passing on the morning of June 5 2026.
Through her almost 100 years, Lady Pamela was always close to
royalty and her death will be mourned by The King as well as his
wider family.
She was born Pamela Mountbatten, on April 19 1929, in Barcelona
to Lord Louis Mountbatten and his wife, Edwina Ashley, Her parents
weren’t just close to royalty, they were one of the most famous
couples in the world whose every move captivated a growing media
presence.
Her own pedigree was regal itself. Her father had been born
Prince Louis of Battenberg but had lost his title in 1917 when
George V removed Germanic honours from his wider family. She was a
descendant of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert through her father
while her maternal great grandfather was the fabulously wealthy
merchant, Sir Ernest Cassel.
Christened Pamela Carmen Louise at the Chapel Royal of St.
James’ Palace, she counted King Alfonso XIII among her godparents.
She grew up surrounded by royalty. Her father, Louis, was already
an integral part of the wider Royal Family and enjoyed a strong
friendship with the future King Edward VIII. Among her first
cousins was Philip Mountbatten, eight years her senior and a good
friend from an early age.
Lady Pamela, as she became after her father was made Earl
Mountbatten, was chosen as a bridesmaid to the future Queen
Elizabeth II and also served as one of her ladies in waiting for
several years after the marriage to Prince Philip. She accompanied
the new Queen and her consort on one of their most famous tours,
when they spent months visiting New Zealand, Australia and
Jamaica.
Both the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were good friends of
Lady Pamela throughout their lives.
Lady Pamela’s close links to royalty were on show throughout her
life. When she married David Hicks, in 1960, Princess Anne was one
of her bridesmaids. She had three children with David Hicks,
including India who would be a bridesmaid to Lady Diana Spencer
when she married the now King Charles at St. Paul’s Cathedral in
1981.
Her youngest child’s name was a nod to the years that Pamela had
spent in India when her father was Viceroy there. Her time in the
country formed the backbone of one of her autobiographies while
another focused on her years as lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth
II.
She was known for her sense of style and, announcing her death,
India Hicks said her mother had remained chic until the very
end.
Lady Pamela Hicks, April 19 1929 – June 5
2026