Documentary describes how Dickie Mountbatten tried to play matchmaker for a young King Charles – despite Prince Philip insisting his son could ‘pick his own wife’
- Documentary series The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor airs on ITVX
- READ MORE: One is not amused! Princess Margaret made a VERY cheeky comment to the Queen while recovering from a stroke, former lady-in-waiting reveals
The close relationship King Charles shared with the late Lord Louis Mountbatten is detailed in the new episode of a royal documentary series.
Upcoming TVX show, The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor, features the ‘behind the scenes story of the world’s most famous family’ which is says is ‘told through the perspective of the major personal challenges that faced the Queen and the monarchy throughout her reign’.
The second episode of the show, titled Threats, shows how the now monarch’s bond with his great uncle, known also as Dickie Mountbatten, impacted his personal relationships.
One segment shows Charles as a young man expressing his admiration for Dickie, saying his older relative had a ‘unique quality…was that you never felt there was a generation gap…he was like a friend of one’s own age’.
He also noted that he could speak with his great uncle about all issues, including those he could not speak to his parents about.
Charles (pictured, left) was close with his great uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten, who he described as a being like a friend of the same age (pictured, right)
During the programme, Dickie’s desire for the then-Prince of Wales to get together with his granddaughter Amanda Knatchbull is outlined.
While the programme says Lord Louis felt that a man in Charles’ position should enjoy ‘sowing his wild oats’ before he settles down, he said it is then important to find a suitable wife.
And Dickie felt that his granddaughter Amanda fit the bill perfectly. After the young heir was linked with a number of young women in the press, he was invited to the Bahamas by his great uncle, who also brought the teenage Amanda.
While the pair are thought to have got on well, according to the programme, Prince Philip was concerned that ‘this was a classic piece of Mountbatten manoeuvring’.
Featuring in the episode is William Evans – who was valet to Lord Mountbatten, who says: ‘Prince Philip’s attitude is “keep out of it. He will pick his own wife when he is ready”.
‘There was a little bit of friction sometimes between Prince Philip and Lord Louis…But the Lord was very determined.’
In the meantime, the woman Charles was really in love with – Camilla Parker Bowles – had got married, to a high ranking officer in the cavalry.
When whispers of the couple’s ongoing relationship reached the Queen, she is said to have banned Camilla from attending royal events.
Lord Louis Mountbatten (pictured) was keen for his nephew Charles to marry his granddaughter Amanda Knatchbull, but although the pair were fond of each other, she turned down his 1979 proposal
And Lord Louis was still determined that Charles find the right match, according to the programme, which details how he sent his nephew a ‘frank’ and critical letter, which warned the young royal he may end up taking the same path as his ‘disgraced uncle David’ (who abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson).
The programme describes as Charles being ‘haunted by the spectre’ of this outcome, and taking action to avoid it – by proposing to Amanda.
According to William Evans, the pair were fond of each other. But Amanda was not in love with Charles, and wanted to marry based on love. In addition, William Evans says, Amanda was not keen on the idea of royal life.
Her refusal of the proposal meant Lord Louis’ attempts to matchmake the couple had come to an unsuccessful end.
Not long after the proposal, Lord Louis was killed by the IRA after a bomb was planted on his boat in Sligo, Ireland, in 1979.
Charles would go on to marry – and divorce – Diana, Princess of Wales, before eventually tying the knot with Camilla, now the Queen Consort, in 2005.
However, the now king did honour his great uncle during his wedding to Diana, by asking the florist to include the Mountbatten rose in the bridal bouquet.
Speaking on the documentary The Wedding of the Century, florist David Longman, a member of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners, discussed creating the bouquet.
Charles (pictured with Lady Diana Spencer as the pair announced their engagement in February 1981) paid tribute to Lord Louis by including the Mountbatten rose in the bridal bouquet
He said: ‘My conversations with Lady Diana were very similar to so many discussions I had with brides and what they wanted.’
David added: ‘She chose…a long drop bouquet, lily of the valley, stephanotis, orchids.
‘The Prince made one request and that was a Mountbatten rose in memory of his uncle, who he was very attached to. He particularly wanted it.
‘There was only one grower. It’s not really a florists’ rose – it’s a garden rose. And it was only one colour because it’s a golden rose there in the centre of the bouquet.’
The full series of The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor will be available on Thursday 20 April on ITVX. Episodes 1 is available now.
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