Lady Pamela Hicks passed away on June 5. She was Louis Mountbatten’s younger daughter, and first cousin to Prince Philip (if my genealogy is correct). She was close to both Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II and she was somewhat close to King Charles. In 2023, there was a kerfuffle around Charles’s coronation, because he did not invite Pamela Hicks nor many of relations from the Philip/Mountbatten side of the family (and yet the Middletons were invited). Pamela Hicks’ daughter India Hicks was extremely irritated by the snub. Well, now Pamela has passed away and her funeral is the same day as Trooping the Colour (Saturday). Will Charles chopper in?
King Charles’ calendar has a conundrum this weekend. The King, 77, has big plans on Saturday, June 13, as the British Army celebrates his official birthday with the Trooping the Colour parade in London. However, the long-scheduled spectacle conflicts with a more solemn family occasion: the funeral of his cousin, Lady Pamela Hicks.
According to Hello! magazine, a peerage notice published by The Times revealed that Hicks will be laid to rest on June 13, which is the same day as Trooping the Colour. The outlet said that the funeral will take place at 3 p.m. at Brightwell Baldwin Church in Oxfordshire, which is about an hour’s drive from London.
With the Trooping the Colour parade set to kick off around 10 a.m. and conclude with a flypast over Buckingham Palace at 1 p.m., there’s a chance that the King could attend the service afterward. Last weekend, he attended the morning wedding of his nephew Peter Phillips and appeared at the Betfred Derby Day, about 100 miles away, just hours later.
Hicks was closely connected to the royal family as the daughter of Prince Philip’s beloved uncle and father figure, Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India. She served as a former lady-in-waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth and chose then-Prince Charles as a godfather to her youngest child, India Hicks.
India announced her mother’s death at age 97 in a statement shared to social media on June 5, reflecting on her long life and how they would mourn her.
“My mother died peacefully today. Whilst there is no tragedy in the death of a 97-year-old who has lived a full life I know grief will be unavoidable, lurking around waiting for me, but today I am simply grateful that she was my Mother,” the interior designer and humanitarian began the heartfelt tribute.
India said that her late mom “made incomparable company” and maintained her grace “right up to the end,” with “impeccable style, sharp mind, and effortless charm that made her not only a cherished institution, but truly the last of her kind.”
Given Charles made a point of snubbing Lady Pamela for the coronation and given that Trooping is usually a lengthy affair, I doubt he’ll make it to the funeral. This is the kind of situation where he should send his heir as well, but y’all know that Prince William would probably throw a huge tantrum at the very idea of attending a family funeral in his father’s place. Maybe Charles will send Princess Anne? But I could see why there’s an expectation that Charles should go – after all, Lord Mountbatten really was his mentor and a godfather-like figure to him.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- King Charles III stands at the top of the Garden steps before the start of a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 6, 2026.,Image: 1096939441, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- 166873, Lady Pamela Hicks at the funeral of Countess Mountbatten of Burma at St.Paul’s church in Knightsbridge. London, United Kingdom – Tuesday June 27, 2017. UK, FRANCE, AUS, NZ, CHINA, HONG KONG, TAIWAN, SPAIN & ITALY OUT,Image: 533054164, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: i-Images, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- India Hicks and Lady Pamela Hicks (daughter of Lord Mountbatten) at the State Funeral of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,Image: 724228650, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Camera Press Rota, Model Release: no, Credit line: Mark Stewart / Avalon
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- King Charles III and Queen Camilla walk through Royal Gallery for the State Opening of Parliament at Houses Of Parliament, London, England, UK on Wednesday 13 May, 2026.,Image: 1098555181, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no , Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 13: King Charles III ahead of delivering the King’s Speech in the House of Lord’s Chamber during the State Opening of Parliament on May 13, 2026 in London, England. The State Opening of Parliament follows the prorogation of the previous session on 29 April. King Charles III will deliver the King’s Speech outlining the government’s legislative agenda for the 2026–27 session. Key priorities for the year include constitutional reforms regarding disgraced peers, a 10-year Health Plan for the NHS, and the implementation of changes to the Universal Credit two-child limit.,Image: 1098588129, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no , Credit line: Chris Jackson/Avalon
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- King Charles greets local residents in Golders Green in North London following the attack on Jewish residents.,Image: 1098932245, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no , Credit line: Richard Pohle/Avalon
The mountbatten sisters were used to criticize Diana to help Charles. One of the sisters called the late Diana damaged all to support Charles quest to portray himself as victim. And now he snubs one of the sisters funeral. Mountbatten. Wanted Charles to marry Amanda knatchbull. Mountbatten granddaugbter.
Charles is loyal to Charles. Even Camilla comes a distant second and she’s been his chief enabler for decades. Since he acceded, all those chickens are coming home to roost. What did they say about Meghan? Me, me, me? ….try applying that logic to the King. Granted that is the nature of monarchy. But his mother was *so* different. My god.
He didn’t invite her to his coronation so I doubt he will go to her funeral. He’s likely to send some former courtier to represent him at the funeral.
Mountbatten was his “mentor “ godfather and abuser . Maybe he wants to distance himself from his traumatic childhood
Charles imo blamed childhood trauma on his parents.
How dare Pamela’s family pull focus from the Trooping the Colour by having her funeral the same day. /s
H
Sounds like the family is still pissed off about the coronation snub. If that’s true, it makes sense they’d schedule the funeral on the same day as the king’s “official” birthday celebration – I love that for Charles.
She wrote a very interesting bio book called “Daughter of Empire: Life as a Mountbatten”. Her mother had the kids with her and then left them in a hotel In Europe somewhere while she was galavanting around with a lover. Then she couldn’t remember where she left them and had to work out where she had been. They were found in Bulgaria or Albania or Hungary or somewhere similar. It was a very entertaining read although very scary in places.
That was some book. I remember that incident. What really sticks in my mind, apart from the multiple lovers her mother Edwina had, was that one of them lived with them a good part of the time and was considered a valued member of the family. Her father had a French mistress at the time (pre his involvement with young boys). There’s supposedly a quote from him about how he and Edwina spent their marriage getting in and out of other people’s beds. I don’t know if it’s confirmed that he said it, but that’s essentially what they did. She ultimately had a “close friendship” with Nehru.
They should just cancel Trooping. It’s the same boring show year after year.
It reminds me of the old accounting joke: Why did the auditor cross the road?
Because he looked in the file and that’s what they did last year
Perhaps Andrew Parker-Bowles can go and represent the family, as that’s what he seems to do these days.