The princely sailor

by Ian McGeoch

The name Mountbatten resonates through the history of Great Britain and the Commonwealth. Born in 1900 as Prince Louis of Battenberg, a great grandson of Queen Victoria, Louis Mountbatten's life was at first shaped by the First World War and its aftermath; in mid-career he was a victorious commander in the Second World War; and when peace came he brought independence to India and Pakistan. Mountbatten took for granted the unique social status accorded to members of the British Royal Family, even in the century of the common man. However, as an officer in the Royal Navy, from naval cadet to Admiral of the Fleet, he was above all a professional. In his final years of active service, Mountbatten brought into being the Central Organisation for Defence which, despite imperfection, has functioned well; and the wisdom of his advice on cardinal issues of peace and security has been widely recognised. Mountbatten remains a controversial figure, even though his faults, when considered in the lig