Royal Musings: Lady Pamela Hicks celebrates her 95th birthday!

courtesy of Lady Pamela Hicks

A happy birthday to Lady Pamela Hicks! She turns 95 years old today and is the oldest living descendant of Queen Victoria.

She is the younger daughter of Louis, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (ne HSH Prince Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas of Battenberg) and the Hon. Edwina Ashley. Lady Pamela's older sister, Patricia (1924-2017), succeeded their father as the 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma following his assassination in 1979.

Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection

Lady Pamela's parents, then styled as Lord and Lady Louis Mountbatten were in Barcelona, Spain, when Edwina went into labor They were staying at the Ritz Hotel. Lord Louis called the main desk to ask for a doctor, but the best the hotel could find was an ear, nose and throat specialist. Lord Louis then called his cousin, Queen Ena of Spain, in Madrid, but she was away. Her husband, King Alfonso XIII answered the phone.

Lord Louis told the king: "We're having a baby." Alfonso offered his congratulations, misunderstanding the message. "Oh, my dear Dickie. I won't tell anyone." Louis countermanded with "Tell everyone. It's my wife. Edwina's having the baby."

The King said he would take care of it. Thirty minutes later, the hotel was surrounded by Royal Guard. A local doctor and an English nurse appeared "like an angel" and "administered chloroform " to deaden Edwina's pain.

It was a difficult delivery for Edwina. Thankfully, her second daughter arrived safely.

Her baptism was celebrated on July 12, 1929, in the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace. Lord and Lady Louis' infant daughter received the names Pamela Carmen Louise. Her godparents were the King of Spain, Prince George, the Marchioness of Milford Haven, the Countess of Brecknock (Lady Louis' first cousin), and the Duchess of Peñaranda (María del Carmen Saavedra y Collado, Marqués de Villaviciosa).

The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Gloucester, Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, Princess Beatrice, Princess Helena Victoria, Princess Marie Louise, and the Marchioness of Milford Haven were guests at the baptism. Lady Pamela's five-year-old sister, Patricia was also present for the baptism.

She accompanied her parents to India where her father, as Viceroy, played a major role in the partition and independence of India and Pakistan. She was one of Princess Elizabeth's bridesmaids at the latter's wedding to Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. Philip and Lady Pamela were first cousins.

In 1952, Lady Pamela was Princess Elizabeth's lady-in-waiting when the Princess and the Duke of Edinburgh were in Kenya when George VI died on February 6.

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Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection

Lady Pamela married interior designer David Hicks (1929-1998) at Romsey Abbey on January 13, 1960. They had three children: Edwina (1961), Ashley (1963), and India (1967). She has 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Victoria - Alice - Victoria - Louis - Pamela

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