THE Crown is back for a fourth series and with it comes the heroic and tragic tale of Lord Mountbatten.
Known for being Prince Charles’ favourite uncle, he met his death due to civil unrest.
Who was Louis Mountbatten?
Lord Mountbatten was born Prince Louis of Battenberg in Windsor on June 25, 1900.
During the First World War Lord Mountbatten served at sea with the Royal Navy.
He later commanded the destroyer HMS Kelly when it was sunk off the coast of Crete by Nazis during the Second World War.
Lord Mountbatten was then appointed Chief of Combined Operations and was responsible for the botched Dieppe raid of August 1942.
He later became the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia Command, and in 1945 he received the Japanese surrender before being persuaded by Prime Minister Clement Attlee to serve as the last Viceroy of India.
The job involved overseeing the transition of British India to independence with the aim of creating united India.
Lord Mountbatten returned to the Navy and became First Sea Lord – 40 years after his dad did the same job.
In 1959, he became Chief of the Defence Staff, the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Prime Minister.
Lord Mountbatten had two daughters with wife Edwina Ashley – Lady Patricia, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, and Lady Pamela.
How did Lord Mountbatten die?
Lord Mountbatten was murdered aged 79 by the IRA, who planted a bomb on a boat at his summer home in Mullaghmore, Ireland, in August 1979.
He had been on the boat with daughter Patricia, her husband John, their twin sons Nicholas and Timothy, both 14, John’s mother Doreen and 15-year-old crew member Paul Maxwell.
Nicholas, Paul and Doreen were also killed in the blast.
The IRA took responsibility for the explosion calling it “an execution” and published a statement promising to continue the “noble struggle to drive the British intruders out of our native land”.
Skilled bombmaker Thomas McMahon was convicted of murder and he was caged for life but released in 1998 under the Good Friday Agreement.
A documentary about the murder, entitled The Day Mountbatten Died, will air on BBC Two on August 19.
Who plays Lord Mountbatten in The Crown?
In The Crown season 3 and 4, Mountbatten was depicted by Charles Dance.
The actor is held within high esteem within the showbiz industry.
His roles have included Game of Thrones, The Widow and Rebecca.
Where does Lord Mountbatten fit in the Royal family tree?
Lord Mountbatten’s great-grandmother was Queen Victoria and his sister was Princess Alice of Battenberg, Prince Philip’s mother.
He was Prince Charles’s great-uncle and was described by the royal as “the grandfather I never had”.
The pair had a strong relationship and Lord Mountbatten even coached his great-nephew on his love life.
At one stage, he suggested Prince Charles marry his granddaughter Amanda, who turned down his proposal.
He was close to the royal family and arranged the first meeting between the Queen and Prince Philip.
Lord Mountbatten also features in The Crown on Netflix, played by Greg Wise.
He is seen in the show mentoring Prince Charles and it is believed his death will play out in the next series.
Was the royal baby Prince Louis named after him?
It is not clear if the royal baby was named after Lord Mountbatten but the royal connections seem to suggest he was.
Louis is also one of William’s middle names.
Louis is the French and English form of the German name Ludwig, which means famous warrior or famous in battle.
After Louis’s birth, the Sun’s royal reporter Emily Andrews tweeted: “Don’t think anyone saw that coming!! Louis is also George & William’s middle name. Louis Mountbatten was Prince Charles’ much-loved great-uncle who was assassinated in 1979.
“Prince Louis of Battenberg was Prince Philip’s gabdafther’s name. #LouisArthurCharles.”
