A snowstorm was buffeting Romsey Abbey as the royal family celebrated the wedding of David Hicks and Lady Pamela Mountbatten on this day 66 years ago. The picturesque yet challenging weather marked the beginning of a unique and storied marriage. The bride, a lady-in-waiting for Queen Elizabeth II, and the groom, a ‘common’ designer with an impressive royal clientele, embarked on a memorable honeymoon journey that began with a struggle against the elements.
As their daughter, India Hicks, recounted in a book last year, the couple set off in a sports car to Southampton en route to the West Indies. However, the snow proved too much for their car’s windscreen wipers.
“Neither could my father,” India noted, “who stopped the car, leapt out in a rage, and tore them off!”
This left Lady Pamela to brush the snow off the windows with her bare hands, a moment India described as “the beginning of a complicated marriage between two people who adored each other.”
Love Against the Odds
The wedding of Lady Pamela Mountbatten, daughter of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Edwina, Countess Mountbatten, to David Hicks was a significant event in royal circles. Despite the social stir caused by their union, as David was considered a commoner, the couple’s love story captivated the public. They first met at a London party, and despite a rocky start involving a pink and blue car David deemed “the ugliest car” he had ever seen, their relationship blossomed.
David Hicks, an esteemed interior designer, was no stranger to the elite. As Paul Tanfield noted in the Daily Mail,
“Certainly it will raise no difficulties in his relationships with his clients. For he has discreetly acquired a considerable social standing of his own. His financial position? Mr Hicks’s services are expensive. Very expensive.”
His illustrious career included designing Prince Charles’s apartments at Buckingham Palace and the nightclub aboard the QE2 liner.
A Royal Affair
The wedding ceremony at Romsey Abbey was a royal affair, with the couple ensuring that their family’s Grade II-listed manor was prominently featured, even as the design for their 140lb wedding cake. Lady Pamela wore a tiara that had graced some of the nation’s most historic moments, including the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Although Queen Elizabeth II could not attend the wedding due to her pregnancy with Prince Andrew, the guest list was a veritable who’s who of royalty.
Among the attendees were Queen Louise of Sweden, Prince Philip, the Queen Mother, Princess Alice, Princess Marina, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Princess Sophie of Greece and Hanover, and Penelope Knatchbull. A young Prince Charles and Princess Anne were also present, adding to the event’s historical significance.
The Legacy of a Royal Union
David and Lady Pamela Hicks went on to have three children: Edwina, a goddaughter of Queen Elizabeth; Ashley, a godson of Prince Philip; and India, a goddaughter of King Charles who later served as a bridesmaid at his wedding to Princess Diana. The couple raised their family in the Chilterns, maintaining a close connection with the royal family throughout their lives.
Their marriage lasted 38 years until David’s passing on March 29, 1998. Throughout their lives, the Hickses remained steadfast supporters of the royal family, with their legacy continuing through their children and their contributions to British society.
This wedding, marked by a snowstorm and a tale of enduring love, remains a cherished chapter in the history of the British royal family, illustrating the complex yet beautiful nature of love and partnership.
