India Hicks has said “goodbye” to her mother, Lady Pamela Hicks, in a heartbreaking post on social media.
Lady Pamela’s funeral took place on Saturday at St Bartholomew's Church in Brightwell Baldwin, nine days after her death on June 5 at the age of 97.
Under normal circumstances, it could have been expected that the King would attend the service of Lady Pamela, who was a lady-in-waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
However, due to a schedule clash with Trooping the Colour, King Charles was unable to join India and her husband, David Flint Wood, in paying their respects.
Instead, India took to social media, penning a poignant tribute to her mother, who spent so much of her life by the side of the late Queen.
“The person I long to talk to about my mother's funeral is my mother,” she wrote.
“I want to tell her every detail: how the flowers smelt, how the sun shone, how the choir lifted its voice to the rafters. I want to tell her about the cousin in the shiny suit, and the priest who kept her wishes and did not give a sermon.
“I want to tell her about the letters my brother read and about her grandchildren and great-grandchildren saying the bidding prayer, and the laughter on the lawn of her garden afterwards, as we had tea, and the Mr. Whippy ice cream van that she would have so enjoyed.
“In fact, she would have wondered why we had not thought to arrange one for every family occasion.
“And that is the strangest part of it, the person I most want to share it with, who I always share everything with, is the one we were saying goodbye to.”
India accompanied the emotional social media post with a photo of her late mother’s coffin.
Saturday’s ceremony was attended by Lady Helen Taylor, daughter of the Duke of Kent; Maddison Brudenell, a cousin of the Prince of Wales, and Domino Flint Wood, India's daughter.
Lady Pamela was a first cousin of King Charles. Despite the monarch being unable to make the funeral, the King said he was left “greatly saddened” by the news of her death.
“His Majesty was greatly saddened to learn of the death of Lady Pamela Hicks, a sorrow tempered by the fondest memories and deepest gratitude for her long life and loyal service to Queen Elizabeth,” a statement from the Palace read.
India originally announced her mother’s death earlier this month with a devastating black-and-white portrait of Queen Elizabeth II’s childhood friend.
Under the photo, India said that “grief will be unavoidable, lurking around waiting for me,” but added that she is “simply grateful that she was my mother”.
“My mother maintained right up to the end, the impeccable style, sharp mind, and effortless charm that made her not only a cherished institution, but truly the last of her kind,” she wrote.
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