Lady Pamela Hicks has not been invited to King Charles’s coronation
King Charles is said to have apologized to friends and family after not receiving invitations to his coronation.
The latest confirmed exclusion is Lady Pamela Hicks, one of only two surviving bridesmaids from Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s 1947 wedding.
Lady Pamela – whose father, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, was Prince Philip’s uncle – attended the Queen’s funeral in a wheelchair last September.
Afterwards, her daughter, India, said her mother hoped to be one of the few people to have attended three coronations.
Today, Lady Pamela’s 94th birthday, she received a phone call from a secretary at Buckingham Palace informing her that she had not been invited to the coronation, which will take place at Westminster Abbey next month.
Lady Pamela Hicks received a phone call today from a secretary at Buckingham Palace
India Hicks revealed how her mother was called by Buckingham Palace to tell her the news
Lady Pamela Hicks with the then Prince Charles in London’s Knightsbridge in 2000 at the unveiling of a blue plaque commemorating the Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma
“One of the King’s personal secretaries passed on a message from the King,” India Hicks said.
“The king sent his great love and apologies, he offended many family and friends with the discount [guest] list.’
The palace official “explained that this coronation would be very different from the Queen’s” in 1953, as thousands more poured into the abbey.
“Eight thousand guests would be reduced to 1,000, easing the burden on the state.”
India, a goddaughter to King Charles and maid of honor when he married Lady Diana Spencer, insists: ‘My mother was not offended at all.
Lady Pamela Hicks and India Hicks are pictured together at a funeral in London in June 2017
Lady Pamela Hicks arrives at the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey in September last year
India Hicks, daughter of Lady Pamela Hicks, at Westminster Abbey for the Queen’s funeral
“How very, very wise,” she said. Invitations based on meritocracy, not aristocracy. “I will follow the events of this new regime with great interest.”
After Lady Pamela, whose father was killed by the IRA in 1979, attended the funeral of her close friend Queen Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey, India said: ‘She may be the only living person to attend three coronations.’
Lady Pamela was eight when she was taken to George VI’s coronation in 1937.
King Charles’s apparent desire to make his coronation “meritocratic and not aristocratic” has caused fear in the upper echelons of society.
On Saturday, the Duke of Rutland expressed surprise and dismay that he and most of his fellow dukes had not received any invitations.
Lady Pamela Hicks is seen (centre) behind the Queen and Philip on a trip to Malta in 1954
Lady Pamela Hicks is pictured in the center after the Queen’s wedding in November 1947
The duke, whose father attended two coronations, told the Daily Mail’s Eden Confidential column: “I was not asked.”
He said he “didn’t really understand” why, adding: “It’s families like mine that have supported the royal family for over 1,000 years or so.”
Financier Ben Goldsmith, whose family has been close to the royals for decades, warned that the king was threatening to give in to “drips and stupidities” by “watering down” his coronation.
“No amount of dilution will ever be enough for the bums and dorks who really want this kind of thing done away with altogether,” said the financier, whose sister, Jemima, was one of Princess Diana’s best friends.
“They represent a small, crafty minority that can easily be ignored for now. For the rest of us who enjoy the beauty of these ancient ceremonies, go big or go home.”
The other surviving maid of honor from the Queen’s wedding is Princess Alexandra of Kent. They are pictured together at a reception at Buckingham Palace in November 2016
Goldsmith added: ‘Apparently peers have been told not to wear their coronation robes at the coronation next month. Some, including our local here, the Duke of Somerset, have not been invited at all.
“I really hope it doesn’t turn into a watered-down affair. Britain does these parties so well, and they are important to a great number of people, not just here but all over the world.’
At Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, the most senior peer of each ‘degree’ – the duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron with the most senior titles – ‘paid tribute’ to the new monarch.
And Goldsmith believes it is a mistake on the king’s part to downplay such traditions.
“There is a nasty sense of self-loathing in calls to dilute or eradicate those who are unique to our society,” said the son of the late tycoon Sir James Goldsmith and Lady Annabel, the daughter of a marquess.
Prince Harry will attend the coronation without Meghan Markle (pictured together as they walk out of St Paul’s Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022)
Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York (pictured at Royal Ascot in 2019) has also not been invited to the coronation
‘Fortunately it is only a small, slightly depressing minority for the time being. Fingers crossed that they are completely ignored.’
The other surviving bridesmaid of the Queen’s wedding is 86-year-old Princess Alexandra of Kent, Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin and daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent.
Buckingham Palace announced last week that Prince Harry will attend the coronation alone, with his wife Meghan opting to stay in California with Prince Archie – who turns four that day – and Princess Lilibet, one.
Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, has also not been invited to the coronation.
MailOnline has contacted Buckingham Palace this afternoon for comment.