Mountbatten, eighty years in pictures

Earl Mountbatten of Burma has played a leading role in many of the great events
of this century. As last Viceroy of India, Supreme Commander South East Asia and
as a member of the Royal Family Lord Mountbatten has a unique view of our times.
From his vast collection of photographs, Lord Mountbatten has made a personal
selection which provides a pictorial record of an extraordinary career.
He was born into the Victorian world and the first photograph shows him on the
knee of Queen Victoria who was his godmother and. his great-grandmother. This
world was soon to be shattered by the Great War in which he served as a
midshipman. Then followed the Russian Revolution and the deaths of his close
relations, the Russian Imperial Family with whom he had spent many happy
holidays.
Better times followed when he accompanied his cousin and great friend, the
Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), on two world tours visiting New
Zealand, Australia, the West Indies, Japan and Imperial India.
It was during World War II that he became known to a much wider public, first as
Captain of the renowned HMS Kelly, then as Chief of Combined Operations
responsible for planning the invasion of Europe and later as Supreme Commander
South East Asia. Having presided over the surrender of the Japanese at Singapore
he and Lady Mountbatten returned home as war heroes. Then as last Viceroy of
India and its first Governor-General he played a critical part in the momentous
events surrounding the birth of independent India and Pakistan.
In 1955 Lord Mountbatten achieved his great ambition and became First Sea Lord.
This was the first time a father and son had both held the highest appointment
in the Royal Navy and both were appointed by Winston Churchill.
In recent years he has continued to travel extensively. He has taken an active
interest in many charitable organizations especially in international education
and continues a lifelong connection with the world of entertainment through the
Variety Clubs International.
There is, as Lord Mountbatten writes, great pleasure to be had from leafing
through a family album. Turn these pages and you will be taken on a journey
through the twentieth century that no other rival.