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
