India Hicks

Last updated

India Hicks
India Hicks Portrait.jpg
Born
India Amanda Caroline Hicks

(1967-09-05) 5 September 1967 (age 57)
Lambeth, London, England
Alma mater Gordonstoun School
New England School of Photography
Occupation(s)Designer, writer, businesswoman, former model
TelevisionBravo's Top Design show (season 2)
Spouse
David Flint Wood
​
(m. 2021)​
Children5
Parent(s) David Nightingale Hicks
Lady Pamela Mountbatten
Relatives Mountbatten family Mountbatten-Windsor
Website indiahicks.com

India Amanda Caroline Hicks (born 5 September 1967) is a British designer, writer, businesswoman and former fashion model. After graduating from the New England School of Photography, Hicks became an interior designer and a model for Ralph Lauren, among others. She moved to the Bahamas in 1996, where she published books, promoted home and beauty products, and introduced a line of jewellery. Hicks travels frequently to disaster sites in her role with the non-profit organisation Global Empowerment Mission. A daughter of Lady Pamela Hicks, she is a maternal descendant of the House of Mountbatten and a relative of the British royal family.

Contents

Early life

Hicks was born in 1967 [1] [2] in Lambeth, London. [3] [4] Hicks is the third child of Lady Pamela Mountbatten and David Nightingale Hicks. Her mother was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II and her father was a famous interior designer. [5] She is the granddaughter of the Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma and the second cousin and goddaughter of Charles III. [2] [6]

Hicks grew up in Oxfordshire, England. [7] She spent holidays at the family estate in Ireland and at her father's self-designed and built Bahamian-holiday home. [6] As a child, she was a tomboy who kept her distance from royal affairs. [8] Hicks was exposed to design at an early age through her father and brother, who were both architects. [5] The 11-year-old Hicks was on holiday in Ireland in 1979 when her grandfather was killed by a bomb planted on his boat. [9] [10] In 1981, she served as bridesmaid to Lady Diana Spencer at her wedding to Prince Charles. [8]

Hicks went to boarding school in Scotland at Gordonstoun, from which she was expelled for having boys in her room. [2] She then backpacked across India. [2] Hicks moved to Boston, Massachusetts at age 18 to study photography [11] [12] [13] at the New England School of Photography, [14] where she graduated in 1990.[ citation needed ]

Career

After graduating college, Hicks' father introduced her to Emilio Pucci in Florence, Italy, where she modelled swimsuits. [15] Later, she modelled for Ralph Lauren in New York City, [15] Tod's, [16] J.Crew, [17] and others. [18] She lived in Paris for three years, before moving to New York City for three years. [11] Hicks moved to the Bahamas in 1996. [18]

In the Bahamas, Hicks restored homes, invested and remodelled a hotel, and published several books on design and lifestyle. [8] Her first book called Island Life was a design book with photographs of Hibiscus Hill, a house she designed. [11] [17] This was followed by a second book, Island Beauty, [5] and a third book on photography and design, Island Style. [19] Hicks also started a boutique shop in the Bahamas called the Sugar Mill Trading Company with business partner Linda Griffin. [5] The shop sells jewellery, clothes, household goods, and other items. [12]

From 2005 to 2014, Hicks worked with Crabtree & Evelyn as a spokeswoman and creative consultant for home and skincare products. [12] [13] The company created the India Hicks Island Living and India Hicks Island Night lines of soaps, candles, and perfumes. [8] [12] [17]

In 2008, Hicks co-hosted the second season of the Bravo interior design show Top Design in Los Angeles, California. [6] [12] [17] She introduced her own line of jewellery in 2011. [12] Hicks also became a public commentator on events surrounding the royal family and the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. [17] [20] In 2015, Hicks created an e-commerce venture called India Hicks Inc. with partners Nicholas Keuper and HauteLook. [13] [14] It sells jewellery, handbags, perfumes, beauty products, and other goods. [13] [14] The business grew to more than $10 million in annual revenues. [13]

Hicks also worked with the Home Shopping Network on a line of bedding products called India Hicks Island Living. [18]

Personal life

Hicks visiting the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, as part of the Global Empowerment Mission, 2019 India Hicks Global Empowerment Mission.jpg
Hicks visiting the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, as part of the Global Empowerment Mission, 2019

Hicks met her husband David Flint Wood as a child. [14] He was previously in a relationship with her cousin, Lady Helen Windsor and then Susannah Constantine, a fashion journalist and the former girlfriend of her other cousin, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon. [21] India and David re-connected as adults [18] during a holiday in the Bahamas. [14] [15] She was pregnant with their first child four months after moving to the Bahamas in 1996. [4] [11] They have five children. [2] [22] In late 2020 she announced plans to marry Flint Wood. [22] She married Flint Wood on 10 September 2021 at St Bartholomew's parish church in Brightwell Baldwin, Oxfordshire. [23] Guests at the wedding included Brooke Shields, Kirstie Allsopp, and Sophie Dahl. [23]

The couple have a house, "America Farm" in Ewelme, Oxfordshire, built on land that Hicks had inherited and replacing two redundant farm workers' cottages. [24] [25] [15] [26] Hicks' book about the project, India Hicks: The Story of Four Houses – A Slice of England, was published by Rizzoli International Publications in 2018. [27] [28]

Hicks has competed in several marathons. She also rode a 100-mile (160 km) bike ride to raise money for cancer victims, in memory of her adopted son's biological mother. [2] She partners with a local food bank [29] and with the disaster relief agency Global Empowerment Mission (GEM). [30] She joined the Global Empowerment Mission's board in 2019. [31] On behalf of GEM, she visited the Abaco Islands after Hurricane Dorian, Alabama after it experienced a tornado, Florida after the surfside condominium collapse, and Poland during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [31] She is also an ambassador for The Prince's Trust, a charity that helps young people find training, and work opportunities. [32]

In 2020 Hicks pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court to shoplifting a coat and was ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge. Her spokesperson stated "The court accepted that at the time of taking the coat, India had simply been absent-minded and hadn't intended to leave without paying for it". [33]

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Louise Windsor</span> Member of the British royal family (born 2003)

Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor is the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. She is the youngest niece of King Charles III. Born 8th in line to the British throne, she is now 16th.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones</span> British jewelry designer and relative of the royal family (born 2002)

Lady Margarita Elizabeth Rose Alleyne Armstrong-Jones is a relative of the British royal family. She is the granddaughter of Princess Margaret and the grandniece of Queen Elizabeth II. As of 2023, she is 27th in the line of succession to the British throne. She was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011 and accompanies members of the royal family to public events. Lady Margarita is a jewellery designer and the creator of the bespoke jewellery label Matita. In 2023, she was the cover girl for the May issue of Tatler.

Lady Sarah Frances Elizabeth Chatto is a member of the British royal family. She is the only daughter of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. She and her brother, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, are the only maternal first cousins of King Charles III. She is the youngest grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. At her birth, she was 7th in line to the British throne; as of May 2023, she was 28th. Though she does not undertake public duties, she frequently attends events and ceremonies with the wider royal family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountbatten family</span> British noble family of German origin

The Mountbatten family is a British family that originated as a branch of the German princely Battenberg family. The name was adopted by members of the Battenberg family residing in the United Kingdom on 14 July 1917, three days before the British royal family changed its name from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor. This was due to rising anti-German sentiment among the British public during World War I. The name is a direct Anglicisation of the German name Battenberg, which refers to a small town in Hesse. The Battenberg family was a morganatic line of the House of Hesse-Darmstadt, itself a cadet branch of the House of Hesse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma</span> 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma

Patricia Edwina Victoria Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Baroness Brabourne,, was a British peeress and a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. She was the elder daughter of Admiral of the Fleet the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and of heiress Edwina Ashley. She was the elder sister of Lady Pamela Hicks, a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the last surviving baptismal sponsor to King Charles III. She was a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Norton Louis Philip Knatchbull, 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma, known until 2005 as Lord Romsey and until 2017 as the Lord Brabourne, is a British peer. He is a second cousin of King Charles III.

Lord Ivar Alexander Michael Mountbatten, DL is a British aristocrat, farmer, geologist and businessman. He is a former director of SCL Group, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica.

Natalia Ayesha Grosvenor, Dowager Duchess of Westminster, is a British aristocrat, philanthropist and winemaker. She is the widow of the 6th Duke of Westminster and mother of the 7th Duke. As of 2024, the Duchess's family, specifically her son, were 11th on the Sunday Times Rich List with a net worth of £10.127 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Pamela Hicks</span> British aristocrat

Lady Pamela Carmen Louise Hicks is a British aristocrat and relative of the British royal family. She is the younger daughter of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Through her father, Lady Pamela is a first cousin of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a grandniece of the last Empress of Russia, Alexandra Feodorovna. She served as a bridesmaid and later as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II. She is also a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria through her father, and as of 2024, her oldest living descendant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Rhodes</span> First cousin of Queen Elizabeth II

Margaret Rhodes was a British aristocrat and a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. From 1991 to 2002, she served as Woman of the Bedchamber to her aunt Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer</span> 1981 British royal wedding

The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer took place on Wednesday, 29 July 1981, at St Paul's Cathedral in London, United Kingdom. The groom was the heir apparent to the British throne, and the bride was a member of the Spencer family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Hicks</span> British interior designer, author, photographer and artist

Ashley Louis David Hicks is a British interior designer, author, photographer and artist. He is the only son of Lady Pamela Hicks and David Nightingale Hicks. Hicks has designed interiors in Europe, the United States, and the United Kingdom. He also has a fabric line for Lee Jofa and furniture lines.

Catherine Victoria Aitken, formerly Victoria, Countess Spencer, is a British former fashion model and former wife of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson</span> 1986 British royal wedding

The wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson was held on 23 July 1986, at Westminster Abbey in London, England.

Penelope Meredith Mary Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma is a British aristocrat and the wife of Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma. Since 2010, she has served as High Steward of Romsey.

Lady Catherine “Kitty” Eleanor Lewis is a British model and aristocrat. She is the eldest child of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, niece of Diana, Princess of Wales and the first cousin of William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Spencer is the spokesmodel for jewellery brand Bulgari and fashion company Dolce & Gabbana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding of Prince Edward and Katharine Worsley</span> 1961 British royal wedding

The wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Katharine Worsley took place on Thursday, 8 June 1961, at York Minster in York, England. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, was the eldest son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, while Katharine Worsley was the only daughter and fourth child of landowner Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny Mountbatten</span> English philanthropist

Penelope Anne Vere Mountbatten, Lady Ivar Mountbatten, known as Penny Mountbatten, is a British philanthropist and businesswoman. She served as the lady of the manor of Moyns Park and then Bridwell Park until her divorce from Lord Ivar Mountbatten in 2011.

References

  1. ↑ Lasson, Sally Ann (27 February 2010). "My Secret Life: India Hicks, interior designer, 42". The Independent. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Williams, Sally (5 May 2012). "India Hicks: He was all alone – I cried and took him in". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  3. ↑ "India Hicks - Births & Baptisms [1] - Genes Reunited".
  4. 1 2 Coke, Hope (22 April 2020). "Lockdown in paradise: India Hicks isolates in the Bahamas". Tatler. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Harris, Waheeda (24 February 2007). "British gal born into style: India Hicks expands her empire". The National Post. p. PH6.
  6. 1 2 3 Muhlke, Christine (19 February 2009). "Profile in Style: India Hicks". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  7. ↑ Shorr, Kerry (27 December 2018). "25 Things To Know About India Hicks". Fort Lauderdale Illustrated. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Haughney, Christine (1 March 2011). "A Royal Wedding? She's Been There". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  9. ↑ Saner, Emine (19 August 2019). "The Day Mountbatten Died review – an atrocity that still haunts lives four decades on". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  10. ↑ "Murder of a Royal". TV & Satellite Week. 17 August 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Macdonald, Marianne (29 March 2004). "Runaway bridesmaid". Evening Standard. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kim, Susanna (12 April 2011). "Fairytale Life of Princess Diana's Bridesmaid". ABC News. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ambassadors of India: India Hicks Sells a Way of Life". Direct Selling News. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "India Hicks Shares Her 25 Favorite Things". Jupiter Magazine. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Armstrong, Lisa (14 July 2018). "How India Hicks went from Princess Diana's bridesmaid to the new queen of accessible luxury". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  16. ↑ Moore, Booth (22 June 2011). "Designer India Hicks's new jewelry line is tribute to her famed father". The Seattle Times.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 Muther, Christopher (20 June 2012). "India Hicks is inspired by her father's designs". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "Feature: India Hicks: The Isle of India". Muses and Visionaries Magazine (4): 50–57. 22 April 2014.
  19. ↑ Gilbert, Sarah (7 January 2009). "India Hicks: Island Style". Princeton Magazine. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  20. ↑ "20 Odd Questions: India Hicks". WSJ. 22 April 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  21. ↑ https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/runaway-bridesmaid-7290613.html
  22. 1 2 Sampson, Annabel (8 December 2020). "Inside India Hicks' 'tiny' upcoming wedding". Tatler. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  23. 1 2 Furness, Hannah (10 September 2021). "Princess Diana's bridesmaid India Hicks married long-term partner David Flint Wood". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  24. ↑ "AMERICA FARM".
  25. ↑ "India Hicks and Her Family Build a Country Retreat in Oxfordshire". www.homejournal.com.
  26. ↑ AMERICA FARM — Luxury villas & luxury holidays
  27. ↑ "Inside India Hicks's Dreamy English Country Home". Vogue. 28 March 2018.
  28. ↑ India Hicks: A Slice of England, The Story of Four Houses by India Hicks | 9780847861774 | Booktopia – via www.booktopia.com.au.
  29. ↑ Coke, Hope (30 November 2020). "Prince Philip's goddaughter India Hicks announces her engagement". Tatler. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  30. ↑ "India Hicks – Global Empowerment Mission". www.globalempowermentmission.org.
  31. 1 2 Brennan, Zoe (22 March 2022). "Why Prince Charles's goddaughter has swapped the Bahamas for the Ukrainian border". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  32. ↑ Friel, Mikhaila (3 February 2022). "Prince Charles' cousin India Hicks grew up attending royal weddings and vacationing with the prince. But she insists she's not a royal". Insider. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  33. ↑ Wet, Nici de. "Prince Charles' goddaughter branded a thief!". You. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
Lines of succession
Preceded by
Jordan Brudenell
 Succession to the British throne Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.