India Remembered: A Personal Account of the Mountbattens During the Transfer of Power

In March 1947 Lord Louis Mountbatten became the last Viceroy of India, with the mandate to hand over 'the jewel in the crown' of the British Empire within one year. Mountbatten worked with Nehru, Gandhi and the leader of the Muslim League, Jinnah, to devise a plan for partitioning the empire into two independent sovereign states, India and Pakistan, on August 15, 1947 and he remained as interim Governor-General of India until June 1948. During this time Lord Mountbattens daughter and Indias mother, Pamela, was with her parents and kept a diary recounting this extraordinary tale of history. The diaries include their trips to stay in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Orissa and Assam, and the exotic palaces of Indian rulers. 'India Remembered' is a scrapbook of private family photographs taken during this historical period (Edwina Mountbatten walking arm in arm with Nehru through a courtyard, or Gandhi taking tea for the first time at Viceroys House). Includes many anecdotes from Pamela Mountbattens diaries such as reminiscences of having to leave 10 minutes before dinner was actually announced as the walk from the bedroom to the dining hall was so far (if running really late, riding a bicycle through the corridors to make time). Includes photographs evoking the atmosphere of the Mountbattens favourite retreat, that of Viceregal Lodge in Simla.