Lady Pamela Hicks: Echoes of the end of empire

Lady Pamela Hicks, former Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen, launched her second volume of memoirs, Daughter of Empire, Life as a Mountbatten, at Ralph Lauren in New Bond Street last night.

The younger daughter of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, the last Viceroy of India, was with her son Ashley Hicks and daughters India and Edwina, as well as her granddaughter Angelica Hicks and Edwina’s daughter Maddison Brudenell.

Among the other guests were Wild Swans author Jung Chang and Lord Heseltine.

“Timothy suggested the title of the book,” Lady Pamela told me, introducing her nephew, film-maker Timothy Knatchbull.

“I think he was joking.”