Lord Mountbatten
Earl Mountbatten of Burma was born on June 25, 1900.
He joined the Royal Navy in 1916 during the First World War.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War he saw considerable action in Norway, in the English Channel, and in the Mediterranean. Mountbatten commanded the destroyer HMS Kelly which was lost in action in 1941 during the Battle of Crete.
In August 1943, Churchill appointed Mountbatten the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia Command. He attended the historic 1945 Potsdam Conference and oversaw the recapture of Burma and Singapore from the Japanese by the end of 1945.
For his war service, Mountbatten was created Viscount Mountbatten of Burma in 1946, and Earl in 1947.
In 1946 Mountbatten was appointed the last Viceroy of India, to effect the transition to independence of India and Pakistan.
His leadership in the war earned him significant respect and recognition and Mountbatten's career extended beyond the military. Amongst many appointments in the years following his retirement from the Navy he was made the first International President of the United World College movement founded in 1962 , a cause close to his heart, to make education a force to unite people , nations and cultures.
Tragically, Lord Mountbatten was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1979 while holidaying with his family in County Sligo, Ireland. His death was a profound loss, not only to his family as a much loved father and grandfather but to the broader community, given his contributions to both military and peacetime endeavours.
The Mountbatten Memorial Trust was set up in 1980 to administer a flood of donations received from around the world following his death.
TRUSTEES
William Fox
William joined the board of trustees of the Mountbatten Memorial Trust over 15 years ago. He has been employed as a fund manager by Cazenove since 1986 and continues to work there. He oversees the investments of the Trust.
He recently stepped down after two terms on the board of the CLA (Country Land & Business Association) and remains a trustee of the Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust, the charitable arm of Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. He is a governor of Beeston Hall school in Norfolk.
Philip Knatchbull
Philip has a unique position in the creative industries. In 2006 he bought and then built the 90-year-old film brand Curzon into one of the most respected fully integrated film brands in the world specialising in and becoming the market leader of imported European and Asian language films into the UK culminating in the multiple award winning and box office hit film PARASITE in 2020. During his 17-year stewardship of Curzon he grew the company from two cinemas to twenty and acquired over 350 films for UK distribution, its films winning multiple Oscars and BAFTA’s and more Palme D’or winners than any other UK film distributor. In 2017 Philip collected the BAFTA award for Curzon’s outstanding British contribution to cinema, sold the company in 2019 and stepped down as CEO in 2023.
Michael-John Knatchbull
Michael-John has been a trustee of the Mountbatten Memorial Trust since its foundation in 1980 serving as Chairman from 2005 until 2022. Since 2000 he has been a Governor of the Norton Knatchbull Grammar School in Kent, founded by an ancestor in 1637 and is also a Trustee of the Mountbatten and Brabourne Charity.
Michael-John had a 25 year career in the film and TV business, retiring in 2000, is a keen advocate of nature conservation and wildlife preservation and serves on the Kent Committee of the Country Land and Business Association.
Ashley Hicks
Ben Moorhead DL (Chair)
Ben is chair of the Charity. He helps to assess grant applications and with others, makes recommendations to the Trustee Board. Ben was a solicitor in the City of London for 40 years until 2022. He has helped create many national charities, trusts and bodies including Sport England, UK Sport and the Sports Council Trust. He is chair of England Karate and The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) Kent. He is a trustee of The Canterbury Cathedral Trust and the Creative Dimension Trust working with young people in Art. For nine years until the end of 2023 he was a member of the Finance Committee of the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales. He has recently been on board of British Blind Sport, The Trust for Sports Tetraplegics, The Arts Society, Kent County Cricket Club, L’Arche UK, creating homes for people with impairment, and several other charities and schools. He enjoys wildlife and nature conservation and is a deputy lieutenant for Kent.
Kelly Knatchbull
Kelly has spent her career working as an agent in the film and tv business. She is an agent and director of Sayle Screen Ltd, one of the UK’s leading boutique agencies representing writers, directors, script editors and book rights for film, tv and theatre.
She has been involved for several years in an industry charity helping those disadvantaged by health or financial hardship to develop their careers in the business.
Kelly has also been involved in developing a wellness enterprise focusing on connecting rural and urban communities with nature and the countryside
Daisy Knatchbull
Daisy Knatchbull is a British fashion designer and entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of The Deck, Savile Row's first tailoring house exclusively for women (which now has the largest shopfront on the street). With a commitment to sustainable fashion practices, her business holds the much sought after 'B Corp certification', and became the first business in the tailoring industry to have this accreditation.
In 2016, Daisy made headlines as the first woman to wear a top hat and tails in the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot, prompting changes to the event's dress code for women and inspiring her to start her own venture in the world of Savile Row tailoring, solely for women. Prior to this, she worked as Communications Director at esteemed men’s tailor, Huntsman Savile Row, for five years.
Since its establishment, The Deck has gained global recognition, received many awards and featured extensively in the international press. Among its clientele are notable figures like Kate Moss, Lauren Hutton, Twiggy, Elizabeth Hurley, and Thandi Newton.
Ashley Hicks is the son of Lord Mountbatten’s younger daughter Pamela, born in 1963. He is a designer and artist, based in Oxfordshire.