Daughter of Empire: My Life as a Mountbatten Hardcover – September 3, 2013

My review is going to be biased so I am starting with a disclosure. I belong to a Hindu family originally from Pakistan. My mother was fortunate to make it to India though not all of my ancestors were that fortunate. I was taught in history lessons about how Pandit Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi were responsible for saving millions of Hindus and Muslims during those chaotic times. The contributions of the Mountbatten family were lost with the passage of time. I am thankful to Lady Pamela for presenting an honest picture of how the Indian and British leaders had worked together in these trying times.First several chapters of the book chronicled the family history of the Mountbatten family and the early life of Lady Pamela. Lady Pamela's upbringing made Lady Mary Crawley (Downton Abbey) look like the daughter of a poor country Esquire (I have no intention of mocking Lady Pamela even though that is how it sounds). This history is critical in appreciating the significance of the actions Lord Louis and Edwina Mountbatten took in India and Pakistan. They were born into a life of luxury and had no reason to take up the thankless task of being India's last Governor General. They did not have to walk into a group of angry Pathans, where even their guards refused to step in, with only their faith in humanity as their shield.This book has reference to several historic figures as they came to interact with the royal family. Two people that I highly regard, Charlie Chaplin and Jim Corbett, were mentioned in the book. I was surprised to see that the movie “Nice and Friendly” that Charlie and the Mountbatten family has made together was available on YouTube. Some of the names were new to me so I had to write them down and look them up later.After reading this book I asked my mom and my aunts about their experience during that time. They all had high regards for the Mountbatten family even though any specific events had faded in their memory. My mom also had fond memories of Lady Pamela and was glad to hear that she had done well.I plan to read "India Remembered" next. I will also recommend "The Great Hedge of India" by Roy Moxham to anyone interested in an expensive folly committed by the British Empire. One person who absolutely must read this book is President Donald Trump. This might give an idea of the challenges one faces when trying to build a wall.

Informative but informal writing style. She's a born story-teller as was her father Lord Mountbatten, uncle to Prince Philip, and her designer daughter, India Hicks.

Pamela (Mountbatten) Hicks is the daughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten and Edwina Cassel. Louis's parents were Princess Victoria and Prince Louis of Battenberg. Princess Victoria's sisters were Alexandra (the last Tsarina of Russia); Elizabeth (wife of Duke Sergei who was uncle to Nicholas II); and Irene (wife of Prince Heinrich of Prussia who was a brother of the war-monger Kaiser William). Princess Victoria also had a brother, Ernie. Lord Mountbatten's sister was Princess Alice of Greece whose son is Philip Duke of Edinburgh, husband of the current queen, Elizabeth II. Edwina's family, the Cassels, were extremely wealthy. This kind of explains why Louis and Edwina got married. He had a rich family background and she just had plenty of riches. This book is a quick and very interesting read. The author writes in a factual style with minimal analysis and light commentary. There are several pages of photographs in this book both from their family album and one or two "official" photos. As a cousin of the current queen, I suspect that she kept out much of the really "juicy" stuff so if that is one's expectation, it will not be met. However, she does provide wonderful and fascinating information about the independence of India and about her participation in Princess Elizabeth's tour during which her father, the King, died and she flew back to England as a Queen. This book covers the time period from before the author's birth to the end of the Queen's world tour. I was fascinated that the author wrote about her mother, Edwina, with relative honesty. Edwina was definitely not "mother" or "wife" material. She left Pamela, age 1 month so that she could travel; and one time, when Edwina, her boyfriend, and Pamela (age 10) were returning back to England, Edwina and her boyfriend left Pamela in Lisbon for 10 days while they continued on to England. Apparently, Edwina had the English Naval Attache in Lisbon and his wife look after Pamela. I just can't figure out the English who, in that day-and-age, thought it perfectly acceptable, while married, to have lovers that become part of the family. Edwina traveled the world with one lover for many years while her husband, Louis was back home. Louis also had some lovers. It was like everyone was one happy family. I applaud the author for delving into this information with honesty. Edwina certainly may have been an asset to England during the war, but her parenting and wifely skills left much to be desired. Edwina saw life as "me, me, me" with no consideration for others in her family. I got the impression that she slept with anything or anyone who looked her way. Her husband, Louis, is the one who seemed to provide any stability to the family although I have to wonder about his lack of self-esteem. The author's meeting and marriage to David Hicks is covered in one paragraph which ends with the sentence (paraphrasing here): "...although unorthodox, we were happily married for 38 years..." I wish she would write another book explaining that statement and write about her husband (who was an incredibly talented interior designer) and her children and her life up-to-and-including-now. Her daughter is India Hicks who is also a wonderful interior designer, and her son is Ashley Hicks, another home designer, and daughter Edwina Brudenell, a model. Considering her upbringing by a distant mother and having her parents' lovers become part of the family, the author sounds like she turned out pretty normal. She seems like the type of person that you'd love to sit down with and have a good gossip. I gave the rating of 4 stars because it does end quite abruptly without rhyme or reason. However, if you are a fan and like to read about British royalty and those on the periphery, then this will prove to be a great addition to your library.

I ordered this book for my wife and I am glad to say that she is enjoying it very much. From what she says, it is a fascinating look into another world, that has now gone forever. A world of where, because of the accident of one's birth, one can have without question, behave without explanation, protected by the impenetrable walls of privilege. I should say at this point that my wife is not of these shores and takes rather a sceptical view of a Royal Family in it's rather broader sense. She is a royalist by adoption! The Mountbattens were a remarkable family, they left their mark on the history of the twentieth century. Perhaps they even manipulated it at times. Read this book, and make your judgment.

'Daughter of Empire: Life as a Mountbatten' covers Pamela Hicks' life from childhood through to her marriage and it's an extraordinary life. When you're related to most of the royal families of Europe - and a cousin to both the current Queen and Prince Phillip - it's clear that life's going to throw opportunities your way that wouldn't be accessible to the hoi polloi. Add in that her parents - Louis and Edwina Mountbatten - were two of the most glamorous and high profile people of their era and it's almost guaranteed that young Pamela won't be sitting at home knitting and walking the dogs.I bought it mostly because of my fascination with her parents and their role in the Partition and Independence of India/Pakistan/Bangladesh. However, there are other fascinating topics covered - from being 'evacuated' to the USA during the war to stay with fabulously wealthy and famous families - and being one of the attendants at the Coronation of QE2 and working as one of her closest 'ladies in waiting'. Whilst the rest of us would probably be weak kneed at the idea of trotting around the world with the Queen, to Hicks it's just a case of working with 'cousin Lilibet'.If you're hoping for the low-down on Edwina and Louis and their rather shocking 'open' marriage, there's plenty to support the notion that they were both generous with their affections outside the marriage but Hicks maintains (against the suggestions of many other writers) that her mother and Nehru were close friends but not lovers. Hmm, I remain unconvinced on that one.I grew up in Salisbury and Broadlands was the nearest of the big 'stately homes' and my grandparents were slightly in awe of the Mountbattens (my grandfather was in Burma during the war when Mountbatten was in charge). I hadn't realised until reading this book that Broadlands was actually Edwina's family home rather than Louis' or that she was also from a fabulously wealthy family. As a child I remember that Prince Charles had his honeymoon at Broadlands, but I hadn't realised his parents also did the same.Hicks had a fabulously glamorous and interesting youth and I enjoyed her book a lot.

I am always interested in "lives" of peoples I could not possibly know and this gives a good account of a varied existence but I agree with other reviewers that it seems to suddenly stop, at her mother's death. I would like to have read about her continuing life and that of Lord Mountbatten. As in television interviews Lady Pamela and Countess Mountbatten treat their parents' "open" marriage in a distant manner although it would surely be impossible for them to ignore the failings. One feels Lord Mountbatten was far more of a "father" than Lady Mountbatten was a "mother". Truly a case of the word "mother" being a cherished title but not always wholly earned.A very very good unputdownable read and also incredible to realise that the sisters are now 90 and 85 respectively.

After going to a talk about, and reading the fictional story of The Last Vicereine by Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang, which I found quite unbelievable, I wanted to find out more about the Mountbattens in India. I thoroughly enjoyed the book by Lady Pamela Hicks which threw quite a different light on events of the time. I have yet to see the film which I am sure will be equally enjoyable.

This is a fascinating book, packed full of interesting observations about the period. It provides a compelling view of another era and another class as the main figures pursue their lives across a number of countries/continents during war and peacetime. The extremes of luxurious and exotic living juxtaposed with accounts of the hard work, bravery and commitment to public service make for a great read. Pamela Hicks' personal experience and observations of some of the main political and establishment protaganists of that era are truly enlightening. It was an easy read and a book that was difficult to put down!