King Charles III has apologized for not inviting Prince Philip’s cousin, Lady Pamela Hicks, née Mountbatten, to his coronation on May 6.
In an Instagram post, India Hicks, the 94-year-old daughter of the British aristocrat who was Elizabeth’s lady-in-waiting in 1947, says Buckingham Palace told her mother she would not be invited to the festivities due to the decision of the Royal Family to reduce the number of guests at the event.
The young woman, however, points out that Lady Pamela Hicks, who attended the two previous coronations, that of George VI in 1937 and that of Elizabeth II in 1953, “was not offended at all” by this decision.
“One of the king’s personal secretaries explained to him that this coronation would be very different from that of the queen. The 8,000 guests would be reduced to 1,000”, indicates India Hicks on Instagram.
He adds: “The king apologized, but my mother was not offended at all. She said, ‘That’s very, very sensible.’ Invitations are based on meritocracy, not aristocracy.”
A more sober coronation
Three days of festivities are planned starting on Saturday May 6 for the coronation of Carlos III. After the ceremony on Saturday, the British are invited to gather on Sunday for traditional neighborhood picnics. On Monday is a holiday, Buckingham invites the inhabitants to practice associative activities.
According to British media, Charles III wants a less pompous coronation than his mother’s in 1953. The ceremony “will be shorter, smaller and less expensive” to avoid complaints from the British as the cost of living has risen. United Kingdom, according to the daily mirror.
In 1953, the coronation of Elizabeth II had cost 1.57 million pounds, the equivalent in 2022 to 46 million pounds (52 million euros).
Source: BFM TV
