Designer India Hicks has revealed how her “thoughtful” godfather the King let her take his family Christmas card photo when she was an aspiring photographer.
Rather than hire a professional, the then-Prince of Wales invited India, to his Gloucestershire home to photograph him with Princess Diana and Princes William and Harry, she tells HELLO! during an exclusive interview and photoshoot at her home in the Bahamas.
© Brittan Goetz“He's a very considerate godfather,” says India, 57, who is His Majesty’s second cousin and was a bridesmaid to Diana. “Even before taking on the big job he's got now, he was a spectacularly busy man but always had time to hand write a Christmas or birthday card, send a special note or hand design a personal gift that was made by a jeweler; it was really touching and special.
“For a while I wanted to be a photographer. I came out of photography school quite young and inexperienced, and he wrote me and asked if I would like to be the photographer for his Christmas card one year. So, I went to Highgrove and photographed him and Diana and the boys, which was quite nerve-racking. Firstly, what a risk, because I could have been a complete idiot with a camera. And secondly, just how nice and thoughtful.
© Brittan Goetz“It's incredible what he has created, and the vision he has,” she continues. “We use the words green and sustainable daily now and he was so ahead of the curve on that. I always think that, however the world moves, or whatever we think of monarchy, no one can deny that we have an extraordinary man on our throne who has set such an example.”
The mother-of-five also tells how her children flying the nest has allowed her to focus on her career as she models her new swimwear collection with Australian brand Sea Level, inspired by the “Bond Girl” look. Aimed at mature women, it includes one pieces, bikinis, surf suits and lace cover-ups made from body sculpting fabric and featuring high cut legs, belts and sleeves to flatter the female form.
© Brittan Goetz“My friends often comment on reaching a certain age and feeling less confident on the beach, but we can still feel sexy and attractive, and we should. We should never give up wanting to look good for ourselves,” says India, the daughter of Lady Pamela Hicks, a bridesmaid and lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, and acclaimed interior designer David Hicks.
“Life is very exciting at the moment, and I have adjusted to the five kids possibly not needing me as much, although I still annoy them, and am as much in their lives as ever before. But I think that there are a lot of women out there who do find this moment when the kids go off to college very difficult, and I'm finding ways to fill those gaps. So I feel that there's a real sense of purpose to my life and that's really important.”
© Brittan GoetzThe former model, who is married to former advertising executive and hotelier David Flint Wood, 64, has also been supporting His Majesty’s favourite charity The King’s Trust, which recently launched in the Bahamas, and regularly travels to Ukraine - sometimes with her children - to volunteer with disaster relief agency Global Empowerment Mission.
© Brittan Goetz“It’s important to me that I am actually boots on the ground,” explains India, who helps distribute emergency supplies and gets involved with projects like rebuilding schools. “The risk is enormous, of course. I'm either the worst mother or the best mother in the world for taking my grown-up children there, because I think it is important for them to see and to understand that this is a war on our doorstep in Europe.”
© Brittan GoetzIndia’s swimwear range is available at sealevelaustralia.com
HELLO! has made a donation to The King’s Trust for this interview.
To read the full exclusive interview, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
Photographer: Brittan Goetz @brittangoetz
Hair and Makeup by Gina Simone using @ab_beautyboxes / artistboxxx.com
ALL JEWELRY by Daniella Draper @TWP
Red skirt @Soler London
