‘I was with late Queen during tragic moment – touching response showed her true colours’
Lady Pamela Hicks, who has died aged 97, was one of Queen Elizabeth II’s closest friends and was with her in Kenya in 1952 when she learned of her father King George VI’s death
Queen Elizabeth II(Image: Getty)
The late Queen Elizabeth II displayed her selfless character in the moments following news of her father’s death, according to one of her closest lifelong friends, Lady Pamela Hicks, who has died aged 97. Lady Pamela, a cousin of Prince Philip and a fixture within the Royal Family’s inner circle for decades, was alongside Elizabeth when she unexpectedly ascended to the throne in February 1952. Her passing on Friday, 5 June, was confirmed by her daughter, India Hicks, who praised her mother’s “impeccable style, sharp mind and effortless charm”.
A spokesman for King Charles III said the monarch was deeply saddened by the news. They said: “His Majesty was greatly saddened to learn of the death of Lady Pamela Hicks, a sorrow tempered by the fondest memories and deepest gratitude for her long life and loyal service to Queen Elizabeth. The King and Queen’s thoughts are with Lady Pamela’s family, as they mourn a woman whose warmth, wit and perspicacity always made such an impression, and who will be so dearly missed by all those who knew and loved her.”
Lady Pamela was among Princess Elizabeth’s bridesmaids at her 1947 marriage to Prince Philip and subsequently served as a lady-in-waiting. She was also present during one of the most pivotal moments in contemporary royal history. According to the Daily Mail, she accompanied Elizabeth and Philip on their tour of Kenya when King George VI died. The royal couple had been staying at the remote Treetops Hotel when word reached them that the King had passed away.
Lady Pamela Hicks(Image: Getty)
Reflecting on the moment years later, Lady Pamela said Elizabeth and Philip were “the last people in the world to hear” of the King’s death. She memorably recalled: “She goes up as a princess. The King dies that night. She comes down the ladder as a Queen.”
Speaking on her daughter India’s podcast in 2019, Lady Pamela described the reaction when Philip was informed of the news. She said: “Philip just takes the newspaper and covers his face with it, hides behind it and says, ‘This will be such a shock.'”, reports the Express.
Yet it was Elizabeth’s response that made an indelible mark on her friend and perfectly embodied the sense of duty that would come to define her reign.
When Elizabeth came into the room, Lady Pamela recalled: “I think, ‘Oh, poor girl, her father’s died.’ So I go over to her, give her a hug and think, ‘Oh my God, it’s the Queen’, so I go into a deep curtsy.”
“And she says, ‘I’m so sorry. It means we’ve all got to go back’ … she was only thinking of all of us.”
Queen Elizabeth II(Image: Getty)
Lady Pamela remained close to the Queen throughout her lifetime and was present at her Coronation in 1953. Casting her mind back during an ITV interview in 2021, she recalled being struck by the sheer weight of responsibility facing the young monarch. “Seeing her, this young woman of 27, utterly alone, I wondered how she’d have the strength to undertake this duty all her life. I think one knew she would, because there’s such inner strength there.”
Born in Barcelona, Lady Pamela was the daughter of Lord Mountbatten of Burma and a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She wed renowned interior designer David Hicks in 1960 and leaves behind three children: India, Ashley Hicks and Edwina Brudenell.
Her passing represents the loss of one of the final surviving individuals with direct ties to some of the pivotal moments during Queen Elizabeth II’s early years on the throne.
