Daughter of Empire: My Life as a Mountbatten
Pamela Hicks
Category: Nonfiction:
Memoir: England
Synopsis: Hicks
recalls her early life as a daughter of a prominent English
family.
Date finished: (approx.)
23 December 2013
Rating: ****
Comments:
I put this one on my “to read” list after finishing Elizabeth the Queen. Pamela Hicks showed
up in that book as she must have given interviews to its author. She is the
cousin of not only the queen but also of the consort Prince Philip. (Yes, the
queen and her husband are cousins!)
The famous photograph taken by the press of Philip helping Princess Elizabeth with her coat was taken at Hick’s sister’s wedding. The photo ignited a maelstrom of speculation about the Princess and Philip. The press decided they were an item.
This was a fascinating book in that it really showed the
role of England around the globe. Hicks was the daughter of Dickie Mountbatten,
who, as I understand it, was instrumental in winning WW2. He was a naval
officer and Supreme Allied Commander during the war. After the war, he became viceroy of India, sent to oversee
the transfer of power from English governing to an independent Indian
government. This move upset Winston Churchill who thought Mountbatten was giving
away “the jewel in her crown.”
Basically, this book is about Hick’s first twenty-odd years
of life shuffling along behind her parents as they fulfilled various missions
and filled various posts for the crown. Her parents’ numerous lovers were
integrated into the family. Her mother had an affair with Jawaharlal Nehru, the
Prime Minister of India, though Hicks speculates that it may not have been
sexual. (Is anyone else a little shocked and ished-out at this?)
I enjoyed the bits about Hicks’ pet mongoose who “didn’t
seem to mind which continent he made mischief in, and spent his days turning [her]
bedroom into a mongoose stronghold” (page 164).
I enjoyed this short book full of history. I’m not entirely
sure who its audience was supposed to be or what niche it fills overall, which
makes me feel fortunate that I found it.
Would you recommend
this to a friend?
Yes, though one might need a certain level of interested in
this sort of thing to enjoy it.
You might also enjoy:
Elizabeth the Queen
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