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King Charles III is reportedly facing a difficult personal dilemma following the death of Lady Pamela Hicks, his first cousin once removed and one of Queen Elizabeth II’s bridesmaids.
Last week, the King expressed his “great sadness” after learning of Lady Pamela’s passing. According to a notice published in The Times, her funeral is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 13 June — the very same day as Trooping the Colour, the monarch’s official birthday parade in London.
Charles is expected to take the Royal Salute at around 11am before later watching the traditional Royal Air Force flypast at approximately 1pm, leaving the afternoon tightly scheduled.
Meanwhile, Lady Pamela’s funeral service is due to begin at 3pm at Brightwell Baldwin Church.
Although the timing presents a logistical challenge, royal watchers note that it may still be possible for the King to attend both events. Just last weekend, Charles managed a rapid turnaround after attending the wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling in the Cotswolds before travelling by royal helicopter to the Epsom Derby in Surrey less than an hour later.
READ MORE: Princess Kate Has Unexpected Reunion With Ex Rupert Finch at Royal Wedding
Paying tribute
Lady Pamela Hicks passed away on 5 June at the age of 97.
The news was confirmed by her daughter, India Hicks, who shared an emotional tribute on social media honoring her mother’s life and legacy.
In her heartfelt tribute, India Hicks wrote: “My mother died peacefully today.”
She continued: “Whilst there is no tragedy in the death of a 97-year-old who has lived a full life, I know grief will be unavoidable, lurking around waiting for me, but today I am simply grateful that she was my Mother.”
Following the announcement, King Charles III released a statement through a Buckingham Palace spokesperson expressing his sorrow over the death of Lady Pamela Hicks.
The statement read: “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.”
The statement from King Charles III continued:
“The King and Queen’s thoughts are with Lady Pamela’s family, as they mourn a woman whose warmth, wit and perspicacity always made such an impression, and who will be so dearly missed by all those who knew and loved her.”
Lady Pamela Hicks was widely admired for her close ties to the royal family and her decades of loyal service and friendship to Queen Elizabeth II.
Funeral request
On Tuesday, India Hicks revealed that her mother, Lady Pamela Hicks, had left behind a final personal wish for her family.
According to India, Lady Pamela left an envelope containing a single handwritten page for her loved ones to discover after her death.
Writing on Instagram, India Hicks explained that the envelope left behind by Lady Pamela Hicks contained “a single page: a few words about how much she loved us, followed by a simple request: no eulogy, no sermon, no memorial. But please, lots of rousing hymns.”
India added: “That is exactly what we intend to do.”
Reflecting on her mother’s wishes, she concluded: “In death, as in life, my mother wanted things to be uncomplicated.”
