16 episodes

A wonderfully intimate look into the life and work of India Hicks and her extraordinary family. In Season One we’re talking Movie Stars, Matadors and Maharajas as we have tea and cake with Lady Pamela, daughter of Lord and Lady Mountbatten and of course India’s much moved mum. Now in her 90s Lady Pamela’s stories will astound you; she’s first cousins with Prince Philip, travelled the world on the famous Commonwealth tour when Princess Elizabeth became Queen, befriended everyone from Grace Kelly to Gandhi and had a front row seat as her father, the last Viceroy of India, oversaw the complicated process of partition.

We ask that if you have listened to this podcast would you be so kind as to consider making a donation to The Princes Trust - a charitable organisation with which India is actively involved. Many thanks.

www.princes-trust.org.uk



Produced by Lisa Francesca Nand and edited by Alex George.

The India Hicks Podcast India Hicks

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.9 • 380 Ratings

A wonderfully intimate look into the life and work of India Hicks and her extraordinary family. In Season One we’re talking Movie Stars, Matadors and Maharajas as we have tea and cake with Lady Pamela, daughter of Lord and Lady Mountbatten and of course India’s much moved mum. Now in her 90s Lady Pamela’s stories will astound you; she’s first cousins with Prince Philip, travelled the world on the famous Commonwealth tour when Princess Elizabeth became Queen, befriended everyone from Grace Kelly to Gandhi and had a front row seat as her father, the last Viceroy of India, oversaw the complicated process of partition.

We ask that if you have listened to this podcast would you be so kind as to consider making a donation to The Princes Trust - a charitable organisation with which India is actively involved. Many thanks.

www.princes-trust.org.uk



Produced by Lisa Francesca Nand and edited by Alex George.

    The Royal Wedding; The Future Queen Elizabeth Marries

    The Royal Wedding; The Future Queen Elizabeth Marries

    When the future Queen Elizabeth was due to be married to Lady Pamela’s cousin, Philip, Lady Pamela was chosen as a bridesmaid. The wedding of the future Queen was of course a major international event and broadcast on radio to millions around the world. Inside Westminster Abbey were two thousand guests, including seven queens and six kings, and the 18 year old Lady Pamela, busy alongside her fellow bridesmaids dealing with broken tiaras, lost bouquets and much more…

    • 26 min
    15. Princess Alice; The Queen's Extraordinary Mother in Law

    15. Princess Alice; The Queen's Extraordinary Mother in Law

    We’re sitting in the drawing room of Lady Pamela Hicks’ home in Oxfordshire listening intently to Lady Pamela’s mesmerising stories. It’s just India and her mother Lady Pamela and Lisa the producer recording it and putting it all together. We’ve chosen to have no studio, no formalities just plenty of conversation and of course tea and cake.
    This episode is all about Princess Alice, mother to Prince Philip and of course mother in law of Queen Elizabeth, a lady who lived a remarkable life in some turbulent and challenging periods of history. She was born in Windsor Castle, in the presence of her Great Grandmother Queen Victoria, and later married Prince Andrew of Greece. Her two aunts - Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Tsarina Alexandra - were both killed in the Russian Revolution and her daughter Cecile died in a plane crash. She was exiled twice and during During World War II and sheltered a family from the Nazis. Following a religious crisis she spent some years in a sanatorium in Switzerland and later established an order of nuns, living a life of extreme frugality dedicated to raising money for charity.
    As Lord Mountbatten’s older sister she was of course Lady Pamela’s aunt and on this episode Lady Pamela tells us some of her memories of the remarkable chain-smoking, canasta playing Princess Alice. 

    • 45 min
    Lady Mountbatten: Part Two, The Transformation

    Lady Mountbatten: Part Two, The Transformation

    The concluding episode in our two part series about Lady Louis Mountbatten, one of the most intriguing and intelligent debutants of her day and of course mother to Lady Pamela and grandmother to India. Born Edwina Ashley she was the goddaughter of Edward VII and heiress to a vast fortune. She married Louis Mountbatten, great grandson of Queen Victoria, in 1922 and in this episode Lady Pamela explores how the war years and her role as the last Vicereine of India transformed her mother from a party-loving socialite to the formidably powerful and intuitive force she became.

    • 48 min
    13. Lady Mountbatten; Episode 1, Party-Loving Heiress, Wife and Mother

    13. Lady Mountbatten; Episode 1, Party-Loving Heiress, Wife and Mother

    We’re sitting in the drawing room of Lady Pamela Hicks’ home in Oxfordshire listening intently to Lady Pamela’s mesmerising stories. It’s just India, Lady Pamela and Lisa the producer who's recording it and putting it all together. We’ve chosen to have no studio, no formalities just conversation and plenty of tea and cake.
    This episode is all about Lady Louis Mountbatten, one of the most intriguing and intelligent debutants of her day, mother to Lady Pamela and grandmother to India. Born Edwina Ashley she was the goddaughter of Edward VII and heiress to a vast fortune. Already very much in the public eye, her wedding to Louis Mountbatten, great grandson of Queen Victoria, in 1922 cemented this powerful couple’s place in British society. In episode one of two, Lady Pamela explores her mother’s glamorous years of parties and travels, her life and loves, and the way in which the war years changed her from a party-loving socialite to the formidably powerful and intuitive woman she became.  

    • 40 min
    SPECIAL EPISODE; India Hicks in Conversation with Tina Brown

    SPECIAL EPISODE; India Hicks in Conversation with Tina Brown

    India is joined by a very special guest, Tina Brown, award-winning journalist, author, founder of the Women in the World summits and former editor-in-chief of Tatler, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker sonf more. Awarded a CBE in 2007 for services to journalism she founded Women in the World in 2009 as a live platform for female leaders, CEO’s, celebrities, and global activists. Tina has popped in for afternoon tea with India and Lady Pamela and also for this inspirational chat with India. Like we always say…there's no studio, no formalities just good conversation. 

    • 17 min
    11. Viceroy's House Part 4; A Bittersweet Goodbye

    11. Viceroy's House Part 4; A Bittersweet Goodbye

    We’re sitting in the drawing room of Lady Pamela Hicks’ home in Oxfordshire hearing Lady Pamela’s stories of living through some pretty extraordinary and now historic times. It’s just India, Lady Pamela and Lisa the producer; no studio, no formalities just conversation, tea and cake. In the last of our Viceroy’s House episodes Lady Pamela recalls the sadness of coming to the end of their stay in India, a country she had grown to love, leaving the many people who had become very dear to her and the family and their bittersweet arrival back home.

    • 19 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
380 Ratings

380 Ratings

Southworth553312678 ,

I love Lady Pamela!

This is so excellent!
Lady Pamela is this American’s favorite Englishwoman! What a treasure she is!

RacheHB40 ,

Delightful!

I love hearing all these stories firsthand. Please record more episodes! My grandfather was Lord Mountbatten’s pilot in India and it feels amazing to hear about it from Lady Pamela and picture him there in the background of these historical moments.

Historyisamazing ,

Outstanding Podcast!!

I love learning about the extended Royal family and the Mountbattens played such an important part going all the way back to Queen Victoria. I love hearing your mother tell her stories and I enjoy how you clarify who was related to who. Thank you so much for having this podcast. Keep it coming!!

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