Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Encyclopedia
Patricia Edwina Victoria Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, (born 14 February 1924) is a British peeress
and former lady-in-waiting
to her third cousin, Queen Elizabeth II. She was the elder daughter of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
and his wife, the heiress Edwina Ashley
, a patrilineal
descendant of the Earls of Shaftesbury
, first ennobled in 1661. She is the elder sister of Lady Pamela Hicks
, and first cousin to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
.
Patricia Mountbatten succeeded her father when he was assassinated in 1979, as his peerages had been created by the Crown
with special remainder to his daughters and their heirs male. This inheritance accorded her the title of countess and a seat in the House of Lords
, where she remained until 1999, when the House of Lords Act 1999
removed most hereditary peers from the House.
(9 November 1924–23 September 2005), at the time an aide to her father in the Far East. Later they became one of the few married couples each of whom held a peerage
in their own right, and whose descendants are slated to inherit titles through both. They had eight children:
, England and New York
. In 1943, at age 19, she entered the Women's Royal Naval Service as a Signal Rating and served in Combined Operations bases in the UK until being commissioned as a third officer
in 1945 and serving in the Supreme Allied Headquarters, South East Asia. This is where she met Lord Brabourne, who was an aide to her father. In 1973 was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Kent
; she is also a serving magistrate and is involved with numerous service organisations including SOS Children's Villages UK
, of which she is Patron; the Order of St John, of which she is a Dame; and the Countess Mountbatten's Own Legion of Frontiersmen
of the Commonwealth, of which she is Patron.
On 15 June 1974 she succeeded her cousin Lady Patricia Ramsay, formerly HRH
Princess Patricia of Connaught
, as Colonel-in-Chief
of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
, for whom the regiment was named when Princess Patricia's father, the Duke of Connaught, was Governor General of Canada
during the First World War
. Despite her succeeding to an earldom in her own right as Countess Mountbatten of Burma on the death of her father in 1979, she preferred that the officers and men of her regiment address her as Lady Patricia. She was succeeded by The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson
on 17 March 2007. On 28 August 2007, the Governor General of Canada
presented her with the Canadian Meritorious Service Cross
for her services as Colonel-in-Chief of the Princess Patricia's Light Infantry.
Lady Brabourne was in the boat which was blown up by the IRA
off the shores of Sligo
in August 1979, killing her fourteen-year-old son Nicholas; her father; her mother-in-law, the Dowager Baroness Brabourne
; and fifteen-year-old Paul Maxwell, a boat-boy from County Fermanagh
. She, her husband, and their son Timothy were injured but survived the attack.
First marriage of Charles, Prince of Wales
As Lady Brabourne during her father's lifetime, her immediate family became closely involved in the consideration of a future consort
for her first cousin once-removed, Charles, Prince of Wales
. Not only is Prince Charles the heir apparent to the thrones of the Commonwealth realms, a marriage was also expected to raise future monarchs. Consequently his choice of a wife would be bound to generate immense popular interest and close media scrutiny. In particular the reputation of the bride would be of major importance, in addition to his mother's authorisation under the Royal Marriages Act 1772
. Charles was given written advice on dating and the selection of a future consort from his father's "Uncle Dickie", who was also Lady Brabourne's father, Lord Mountbatten: "In a case like yours, the man should sow his wild oats and have as many affairs as he can before settling down, but for a wife he should choose a suitable, attractive, and sweet-charactered girl before she has met anyone else she might fall for... It is disturbing for women to have experiences if they have to remain on a pedestal after marriage." In early 1974, Lord Mountbatten began corresponding with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's eldest son about a potential marriage to Lady Brabourne's daughter, Amanda. and recommended that the 25-year-old prince get done with his bachelor's experimentation. Charles dutifully wrote to Lady Brabourne (who was also his godmother
), about his interest in her daughter, to which she replied approvingly, though suggesting that a courtship
was premature.
This did not daunt Mountbatten, who, four years later, obtained an invitation for himself and Amanda to accompany Prince Charles on his 1980 tour of India. Both fathers, however, objected; Prince Philip complaining that the Prince of Wales would be eclipsed by his famous uncle (who had served as the last British Viceroy
and first Governor-General of India
), while Lord Brabourne warned that a joint visit would rivet media attention on the cousins before they could decide on becoming a couple, thereby potentially dashing the very prospect for which Mountbatten hoped. However, by the time Charles went and returned, alone, from his tour of India, circumstances had tragically changed: Although Prince Charles proposed to Amanda in early 1980, she now recoiled from the prospect of becoming a core member of the Royal Family. In June 1980 Charles officially turned down Chevening
House, placed at his disposal since 1974, as his future residence. Chevening, a stately home
in Kent, was bequeathed, along with an endowment
, to the Crown by the last Earl Stanhope
, Amanda's childless great-uncle, in the hope that Charles would eventually occupy it. Weeks later, Prince Charles purchased Highgrove
as a future residence, and commenced courtship of Lady Diana Spencer
.
Although the Queen offered the Prince of Wales no direct counsel during that period, as his kinsman and friend Norton Knatchbull, now Lord Brabourne
, and his wife, Penny, did. But the prince was angered by their objections that he did not seem in love with Lady Diana and that she seemed too awestruck by his position. Meanwhile, the couple continued dating, amidst constant press speculation and paparazzi
coverage. When Prince Philip told him that the intrusive media attention would injure her reputation if he did not come to a decision about marrying her soon, and realising that Lady Diana met the Mountbatten criteria (and, apparently, the public's) for a proper royal bride, Charles construed his father's advice as a warning to proceed without further delay, and proposed marriage.
of which the oil sketch resides into the Canadian Portrait Academy Permanent Collection.
Patricia Mountbatten was born the daughter of a younger son of a marquess
and thus had no courtesy title. She became the daughter of a peer
(when her father was created a viscount
), and thus obtained the courtesy prefix Honourable. When she married a baron
, she obtained her husband's precedence, which happened to be higher than that of a viscount's daughter. But when her father was raised to an earldom her precedence remained the same, because the higher courtesy rank of an earl's daughter cannot be claimed by the wife of a man who ranks as a peer in his own right. When her father died and she succeeded him as countess
by special remainder, Patricia Mountbatten became a peeress in her own right. Since her peerage was higher than her husband's, she was entitled to enjoy its higher title and precedence. By contrast, her younger sister outranked her husband from August 1946 to August 1979 because when a peer's
daughter marries a commoner
rather than a peer, she is allowed to retain the rank derived from her parent.
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
and former lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
to her third cousin, Queen Elizabeth II. She was the elder daughter of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
and his wife, the heiress Edwina Ashley
Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Edwina Cynthia Annette Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma,, GBE, DCVO, CI, DStJ was an English heiress, socialite, relief-worker, wife of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and last Vicereine of India.- Lineage and wealth :Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma...
, a patrilineal
Patrilineality
Patrilineality is a system in which one belongs to one's father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritance of property, names or titles through the male line as well....
descendant of the Earls of Shaftesbury
Earl of Shaftesbury
Earl of Shaftesbury is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1672 for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, a prominent politician in the Cabal then dominating the policies of King Charles II...
, first ennobled in 1661. She is the elder sister of Lady Pamela Hicks
Lady Pamela Hicks
Lady Pamela Carmen Louise Hicks, née Mountbatten is a British aristocrat. She is the younger daughter of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma by his wife, the former Edwina Ashley. Through her father, Lady Hicks is a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.- Family background :Hicks was...
, and first cousin to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
.
Patricia Mountbatten succeeded her father when he was assassinated in 1979, as his peerages had been created by the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
with special remainder to his daughters and their heirs male. This inheritance accorded her the title of countess and a seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, where she remained until 1999, when the House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
removed most hereditary peers from the House.
Marriage and children
On 26 October 1946 she married John Knatchbull, 7th Baron BrabourneJohn Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne
John Ulick Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne, CBE , professionally known as John Brabourne, was a British peer, television producer and Academy-award nominated film producer....
(9 November 1924–23 September 2005), at the time an aide to her father in the Far East. Later they became one of the few married couples each of whom held a peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
in their own right, and whose descendants are slated to inherit titles through both. They had eight children:
- Norton Louis Philip Knatchbull, 8th Baron BrabourneNorton Knatchbull, 8th Baron BrabourneNorton Louis Philip Knatchbull, 8th Baron Brabourne , known until 2005 as Lord Romsey, is a British Peer.-Life and education:...
(born 8 October 1947), married Penelope Eastwood (born 16 April 1953) and had issue. - The Hon. Michael-John Ulick Knatchbull (born 24 May 1950), married Melissa Clare Owen (born 12 November 1960) on 1 June 1985 and had one daughter; divorced in 1997. Married Susan Penelope Jane Coates (born 23 October 1959) on 6 March 1999 and had one daughter.
- The Hon. Anthony Knatchbull (born and died 6 April 1952)
- Lady Joanna Edwina Doreen Knatchbull (born 5 March 1955), married Baron Hubert Pernot du Breuil (2 February 1956-6 September 2004) on 3 November 1984 and had one daughter; divorced in 1995; married Azriel Zuckerman (born 18 January 1943) on 19 November 1995 and had one son.
- Lady Amanda Patricia Victoria Knatchbull (born 26 June 1957), married Charles Vincent Ellingworth (born 7 February 1957) on 31 October 1987 and had three sons.
- The Hon. Philip Wyndham Ashley Knatchbull (born 2 December 1961), married Atalanta Cowan (born 20 June 1962) on 16 March 1991 and had one daughter; married Wendy Amanda Leach (born 20 July 1966) on 29 June 2002 and had two sons.
- The Hon. Nicholas Timothy Charles Knatchbull (18 November 1964–27 August 1979), murdered, aged 14, by an IRAProvisional Irish Republican ArmyThe Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
bomb. - The Hon. Timothy Nicholas Sean Knatchbull (born 18 November 1964), married Isabella Julia Norman (born 9 January 1971), a great-great-granddaughter of the 4th Earl of BradfordGeorge Bridgeman, 4th Earl of BradfordGeorge Cecil Orlando Bridgeman, 4th Earl of Bradford DL, JP was a British soldier and peer.The elder son of the 3rd Earl of Bradford and Selina Louisa Forester, Bridgeman was educated at Harrow School, and served in the 1st Life Guards and the Shropshire Yeomanry Cavalry, reaching the rank of...
, on 11 July 1998 and had two sons and three daughters.
Activities
Lady Mountbatten was educated in MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, England and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In 1943, at age 19, she entered the Women's Royal Naval Service as a Signal Rating and served in Combined Operations bases in the UK until being commissioned as a third officer
Third Officer
Third Officer may refer to:*Third Officer , a rarely used rank in civil aviation companies*Third mate, a merchant marine rank*A rank in the Women's Royal Naval Service corresponding to Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy...
in 1945 and serving in the Supreme Allied Headquarters, South East Asia. This is where she met Lord Brabourne, who was an aide to her father. In 1973 was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
; she is also a serving magistrate and is involved with numerous service organisations including SOS Children's Villages UK
SOS Children's Villages UK
SOS Children's Villages UK is an autonomous charity based in Cambridge in the United Kingdom and part of the international group SOS Children's Villages, the largest international charity group dedicated to the care of orphaned and abandoned children...
, of which she is Patron; the Order of St John, of which she is a Dame; and the Countess Mountbatten's Own Legion of Frontiersmen
Legion of Frontiersmen
The Legion of Frontiersmen is a paramilitary group formed in Britain in 1905 by Roger Pocock, a former Constable with the North-West Mounted Police and Boer War veteran, with its roots firmly set in another era, to bolster the defensive capacity of the British Empire...
of the Commonwealth, of which she is Patron.
On 15 June 1974 she succeeded her cousin Lady Patricia Ramsay, formerly HRH
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
Princess Patricia of Connaught
Princess Patricia of Connaught
Princess Patricia of Connaught was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria...
, as Colonel-in-Chief
Colonel-in-Chief
In the various Commonwealth armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its patron. This position is distinct from that of Colonel of the Regiment. They do not have an operational role. They are however kept informed of all important activities of the regiment, and pay occasional visits to its...
of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
, for whom the regiment was named when Princess Patricia's father, the Duke of Connaught, was Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Despite her succeeding to an earldom in her own right as Countess Mountbatten of Burma on the death of her father in 1979, she preferred that the officers and men of her regiment address her as Lady Patricia. She was succeeded by The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....
on 17 March 2007. On 28 August 2007, the Governor General of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
presented her with the Canadian Meritorious Service Cross
Meritorious Service Cross
The Meritorious Service Cross is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, one of the two Meritorious Service Decorations gifted by the Canadian monarch, generally through his or her viceroy-in-Council...
for her services as Colonel-in-Chief of the Princess Patricia's Light Infantry.
Lady Brabourne was in the boat which was blown up by the IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
off the shores of Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
in August 1979, killing her fourteen-year-old son Nicholas; her father; her mother-in-law, the Dowager Baroness Brabourne
Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne
Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne, CI was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, socialite and victim of the Provisional IRA.-Family life:...
; and fifteen-year-old Paul Maxwell, a boat-boy from County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
. She, her husband, and their son Timothy were injured but survived the attack.
First marriage of Charles, Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
As Lady Brabourne during her father's lifetime, her immediate family became closely involved in the consideration of a future consortConsort
Consort may refer to:Titles:* Queen consort, wife of a reigning king* Prince consort, husband of a reigning queen* King consort, rarely used alternative title for husband of a reigning queen...
for her first cousin once-removed, Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. Not only is Prince Charles the heir apparent to the thrones of the Commonwealth realms, a marriage was also expected to raise future monarchs. Consequently his choice of a wife would be bound to generate immense popular interest and close media scrutiny. In particular the reputation of the bride would be of major importance, in addition to his mother's authorisation under the Royal Marriages Act 1772
Royal Marriages Act 1772
The Royal Marriages Act 1772 is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which prescribes the conditions under which members of the British Royal Family may contract a valid marriage, in order to guard against marriages that could diminish the status of the Royal House...
. Charles was given written advice on dating and the selection of a future consort from his father's "Uncle Dickie", who was also Lady Brabourne's father, Lord Mountbatten: "In a case like yours, the man should sow his wild oats and have as many affairs as he can before settling down, but for a wife he should choose a suitable, attractive, and sweet-charactered girl before she has met anyone else she might fall for... It is disturbing for women to have experiences if they have to remain on a pedestal after marriage." In early 1974, Lord Mountbatten began corresponding with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's eldest son about a potential marriage to Lady Brabourne's daughter, Amanda. and recommended that the 25-year-old prince get done with his bachelor's experimentation. Charles dutifully wrote to Lady Brabourne (who was also his godmother
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
), about his interest in her daughter, to which she replied approvingly, though suggesting that a courtship
Courtship
Courtship is the period in a couple's relationship which precedes their engagement and marriage, or establishment of an agreed relationship of a more enduring kind. In courtship, a couple get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement or other such agreement...
was premature.
This did not daunt Mountbatten, who, four years later, obtained an invitation for himself and Amanda to accompany Prince Charles on his 1980 tour of India. Both fathers, however, objected; Prince Philip complaining that the Prince of Wales would be eclipsed by his famous uncle (who had served as the last British Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
and first Governor-General of India
Governor-General of India
The Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...
), while Lord Brabourne warned that a joint visit would rivet media attention on the cousins before they could decide on becoming a couple, thereby potentially dashing the very prospect for which Mountbatten hoped. However, by the time Charles went and returned, alone, from his tour of India, circumstances had tragically changed: Although Prince Charles proposed to Amanda in early 1980, she now recoiled from the prospect of becoming a core member of the Royal Family. In June 1980 Charles officially turned down Chevening
Chevening
Chevening, also known as Chevening House, is a country house at Chevening in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, in England. It is an official residence of the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom...
House, placed at his disposal since 1974, as his future residence. Chevening, a stately home
Stately home
A stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
in Kent, was bequeathed, along with an endowment
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
, to the Crown by the last Earl Stanhope
James Stanhope, 7th Earl Stanhope
James Richard Stanhope, 13th Earl of Chesterfield and 7th Earl Stanhope KG, DSO, MC, PC , styled Viscount Mahon until 1905, and known as The Earl Stanhope from 1905 until 1967, was a British Conservative politician.-Background:Stanhope was the eldest son of Arthur Stanhope, 6th Earl Stanhope, and...
, Amanda's childless great-uncle, in the hope that Charles would eventually occupy it. Weeks later, Prince Charles purchased Highgrove
Highgrove
Highgrove House is the country home of Prince Charles, in Gloucestershire, England. Situated at Doughton, southwest of Tetbury, Highgrove House was purchased in 1980 by the Duchy of Cornwall...
as a future residence, and commenced courtship of Lady Diana Spencer
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
.
Although the Queen offered the Prince of Wales no direct counsel during that period, as his kinsman and friend Norton Knatchbull, now Lord Brabourne
Norton Knatchbull, 8th Baron Brabourne
Norton Louis Philip Knatchbull, 8th Baron Brabourne , known until 2005 as Lord Romsey, is a British Peer.-Life and education:...
, and his wife, Penny, did. But the prince was angered by their objections that he did not seem in love with Lady Diana and that she seemed too awestruck by his position. Meanwhile, the couple continued dating, amidst constant press speculation and paparazzi
Paparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
coverage. When Prince Philip told him that the intrusive media attention would injure her reputation if he did not come to a decision about marrying her soon, and realising that Lady Diana met the Mountbatten criteria (and, apparently, the public's) for a proper royal bride, Charles construed his father's advice as a warning to proceed without further delay, and proposed marriage.
Portrait
In October 2009 TCF Canada Inc. presented the Countess with a portrait of herself by the noted Canadian artist Christian Cardell CorbetChristian Cardell Corbet
Christian Cardell Corbet is a Canadian sculptor, painter and designer. He co-founded and was first President of the Canadian Portrait Academy.- Quotes :...
of which the oil sketch resides into the Canadian Portrait Academy Permanent Collection.
Shorthand titles
- Miss Patricia Mountbatten (14 February 1924 23 August 1946)
- The Hon. Patricia Mountbatten (23 August 1946 26 October 1946)
- The Rt Hon. The Lady Brabourne (26 October 1946 27 August 1979)
- The Rt Hon. The Countess Mountbatten of Burma (27 August 1979 present)
Patricia Mountbatten was born the daughter of a younger son of a marquess
Marquess
A marquess or marquis is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam...
and thus had no courtesy title. She became the daughter of a peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
(when her father was created a viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
), and thus obtained the courtesy prefix Honourable. When she married a baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
, she obtained her husband's precedence, which happened to be higher than that of a viscount's daughter. But when her father was raised to an earldom her precedence remained the same, because the higher courtesy rank of an earl's daughter cannot be claimed by the wife of a man who ranks as a peer in his own right. When her father died and she succeeded him as countess
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
by special remainder, Patricia Mountbatten became a peeress in her own right. Since her peerage was higher than her husband's, she was entitled to enjoy its higher title and precedence. By contrast, her younger sister outranked her husband from August 1946 to August 1979 because when a peer's
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
daughter marries a commoner
Commoner
In British law, a commoner is someone who is neither the Sovereign nor a peer. Therefore, any member of the Royal Family who is not a peer, such as Prince Harry of Wales or Anne, Princess Royal, is a commoner, as is any member of a peer's family, including someone who holds only a courtesy title,...
rather than a peer, she is allowed to retain the rank derived from her parent.
Honours
- Dame of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (DStJ)
- Commander of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE) - Meritorious Service CrossMeritorious Service CrossThe Meritorious Service Cross is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, one of the two Meritorious Service Decorations gifted by the Canadian monarch, generally through his or her viceroy-in-Council...
(MSC) - Canadian Forces DecorationCanadian Forces DecorationThe Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...
(CD)
Colonelcies-in-chief
- The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)The Loyal Edmonton Regiment , or LER, is a Primary Reserve infantry unit of the Canadian Forces based in Edmonton, Alberta. The LER is part of Land Force Western Area's 41 Canadian Brigade Group...
- Countess Mountbatten's Own Legion of FrontiersmenLegion of FrontiersmenThe Legion of Frontiersmen is a paramilitary group formed in Britain in 1905 by Roger Pocock, a former Constable with the North-West Mounted Police and Boer War veteran, with its roots firmly set in another era, to bolster the defensive capacity of the British Empire...
of the Commonwealth - Princess Patricia's Canadian Light InfantryPrincess Patricia's Canadian Light InfantryPrincess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
(formerly, now Adrienne ClarksonAdrienne ClarksonAdrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....
)