India Hicks, the goddaughter of King Charles, has revealed that she received a series of unusual china gifts from him throughout her childhood, including a gravy boat when she was just seven years old. The 49-year-old former model and bridesmaid at Charles's wedding to Diana shared the details on Instagram and her website, showing off the fine china pieces from London store Thomas Goode that she had stored in her cellar for years.
Hicks, whose grandfather was the late Lord Mountbatten, said that for “years and years, every birthday and every Christmas” she received “confusing” gifts from Charles, such as gravy boats and saucers. The first gravy dish, worth £320 in today’s money, arrived when she was around eight. She recalled: “That was probably the first time I remember receiving the thick cardboard box wrapped in brown paper, with an imposing purple ER stamp on it. Inside was lots of scratchy straw and inside that, when you dug deep, was a gravy dish, or a saucer, or a demitasse.”
Hicks admitted that as a child she hoped for more age-appropriate presents, saying: “Every year I was rather hoping for something other than a saucer… maybe an Adam Ant poster or something.” However, she now appreciates the china and has finally unwrapped and put it to use in her home. She also revealed several handwritten notes from Charles, including one that read: “Lots of love for your birthday from your incredibly ancient godfather.”
Hicks, who now lives in the Bahamas with her partner David Flint Wood and their four children, has used the gifts as a link to promote her own products, including jewellery and bags. She was expelled from Charles’s alma mater Gordonstoun for entertaining boys in her room and has described herself as a “free spirit”.
