Lord Mountbatten Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Duke of Edinburgh |
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career , and concentrated on his polo , which he never abandoned .
Like many British officers and members of the Royal Family , Lord Mountbatten made Malta his special place . This small archipelago in the central Mediterranean was a compulsory stop for officers returning from India . Malta is very relevant in the history of polo ; in 1865 English officers introduced polo to the West on this island . Lord Louis Mountbatten not only played , his wish to learn and improve meant that he spend hours analysing the game - and even the sticks . In 1931 he designed and patented a special stick which became very popular at the time . It was developed with the aim of giving the player greater reach when striking the ball . That same year he published his famous book “ An Introduction To Polo ”, under the pseudonym “ Marco ”. The copyright belonged to the Royal Naval Association , presided by Mountbatten . The book became a best seller , and it is considered an essential guide to polo to this day . It has been translated into several languages and is considered the ultimate polo book , par excellence .
Both for the British Royal Family and for Lord Mountbatten , Malta is and has been a very special place . In 1870 , his father , Louis , played polo there while serving as a marine officer . Furthermore , two important trophies at the Malta Polo Club are attributed to Lord Mountbatten : the Prince Louis Cup , in memory of his father , and the prestigios Cawnpore Cup , the origin of which dates back to India ( 1901 ), and which Mountbatten insisted on taking to Malta after the war . Malta remembers Lord Mountbatten very fondly . He was generous with the local players , and , if he saw potential in them , would give them lessons personally . The grooms knew him well and witnessed his generosity . He was always happy to give advice and promote the sport of polo .
Lord Mountbatten is recorded talking about polo in Malta in “ The Life and Times of Lord Mountbatten ”. He states : “ Polo was very important
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to me in Malta , particularly as captain of my team , the Bluejackets (...). I have many wonderful memories of the Marsa field [ the main ground of Malta Polo Club ]”.
King George V started the polo tradition in Malta , and his children continued it . It was in Malta , toward the end of the 1940s , where Lord Louis Mountbatten introduced his nephew , Philip , to polo . Philip , born in Corfu , Greece in 1921 , was sent to England in 1928 to be looked after by his uncle . He completed his studies in England , Germany and Scotland , before enrolling in Royal Naval College , just like his uncle had in 1913 . Philip graduated in 1940 at the top of his class , and became one of the youngest officers in the Royal Navy . Once the Second World War came to an end , he returned to England , where his future wife awaited . He married the young Princess Elizabeth , daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth , in 1947 .
Encouraged by his uncle , Philip became an avid polo player , playing with his team Windsor Park in the 1960s . Like his uncle , he reached a 5-goal handicap and spent part of his naval , and polo , career in Malta . The then Princess Elizabeth attended many of their games at Malta Polo Club .
During the 1960s Lord Mountbatten also shared his love of polo with his great nephew and godson , Prince Charles . Mountbatten greatly influenced the young Prince Chales , who in turn adored him . The Prince of Wales referred to the tradition of polo in the Royal Family and the importance of Lord Mountbatten in his life when he wrote the prologue to the book , “ Profiles in Polo ”, compiled by the prestigious historian Horace Laffaye : “ My family seem to have been involved with polo since its introduction into Britain (...): my great-great uncle , the Duke of Connaught , my great grandfather , King George V and his brother , the Duke of Clarence were amongst some the early players (...); my grandfather , King George VI and his three
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brothers were all devoted to polo (...). And later my great uncle Lord Mountbatten took a great deal of interest in the improvement of my game ”.
Lord Mountbatten stopped playing in the 1950s , but his enthusiasm never diminished . He attended games and watched from the Royal Box at Guards Polo Club . He was patron of the New Forest Polo Club , where he donated the Bluejackets Cup , which today is the club ’ s main trophy . His last visits to polo were in 1979 : he presented the Gold Cup for the British Open at Cowdray Park , and presented the Rundle Cup to his great nephew in Tidworth , who won the tournament with his team Royal Navy .
On August 27 , 1979 , Mountbatten went lobsterpotting and tuna fishing in his 30-foot wooden boat , Shadow V , which had been moored in the harbour at Mullaghmore , Ireland . IRA member Thomas McMahon had slipped onto the unguarded boat that night and attached a radio-controlled bomb weighing 50 pounds ( 23 kg ). When Mountbatten was aboard , just a few hundred yards from the shore , the bomb was detonated . The boat was destroyed by the force of the blast , and Mountbatten ’ s legs were almost blown off . Mountbatten , then aged 79 , was pulled alive from the water by nearby fishermen , but died from his injuries before being brought to shore . His funeral was held at Westminster Abbey .
The polo legacy left by Lord Louis Mountbatten is invaluable . Just like his public service , his polo career was one of enthusiasm and passion . Today he is honoured at the club founded by his nephew in 1955 , Guards Polo Club , with the Mountbatten Cup . His legacy continues with his great nephew George Milford Haven and his wife Clare . And of course , through his royal great-grand children , the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry .
For Singapore he was instrumental in the the re-establishment of the Singapore Polo Club post-war , consequently there is an aptly named “ Mountbatten ” room at the club in his honour . This club was a testament to his great passion for this great sport . ■
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Lord Louis Mountbatten |
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