Editing Lord Mountbatten (section)

=== Mentorship of King Charles III ===
Mountbatten was a strong influence in the upbringing of his great-nephew, the future [[King Charles III]], and later as a mentor – "Honorary Grandfather" and "Honorary Grandson", they fondly called each other according to the [[Jonathan Dimbleby]] biography of the then-Prince – though according to both the Ziegler biography of Mountbatten and the Dimbleby biography of the Prince, the results may have been mixed. He from time to time strongly upbraided the Prince for showing tendencies towards the idle pleasure-seeking dilettantism of his predecessor as Prince of Wales, [[King Edward VIII]], whom Mountbatten had known well in their youth. Yet he also encouraged the Prince to enjoy the bachelor life while he could, and then to marry a young and inexperienced girl so as to ensure a stable married life.<ref>{{harvp|Junor|2005|p=72}}.</ref>

Mountbatten's qualification for offering advice to this particular heir to the throne was unique; it was he who had arranged the visit of [[King George VI]] and [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother|Queen Elizabeth]] to [[Dartmouth Royal Naval College]] on 22 July 1939, taking care to include the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret in the invitation, but assigning his nephew, [[Cadet]] [[Prince Philip of Greece]], to keep them amused while their parents toured the facility. This was the first recorded meeting of Charles's future parents<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/R/real_lives/prince_philip.html |title=The Real Prince Philip |access-date=12 May 2007 |last=Edwards |first=Phil |date=31 October 2000 |format=TV documentary |website=Real Lives: Channel 4's portrait gallery |publisher=Channel 4 |archive-date=7 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070407224048/http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/R/real_lives/prince_philip.html |url-status=live }}</ref> but a few months later, Mountbatten's efforts nearly came to naught when he received a letter from his sister Alice in [[Athens]] informing him that Philip was visiting her and had agreed to [[repatriate]] permanently to Greece. Within days, Philip received a command from his cousin and sovereign, King [[George II of Greece]], to resume his naval career in Britain which, though given without explanation, the young prince obeyed.<ref>{{harvp|Vickers|2000|p=281}}.</ref>

In 1974, Mountbatten began corresponding with Charles about a potential marriage to his granddaughter, [[Amanda Knatchbull]], who was also Charles's second cousin.<ref name="Dimbleby204–206">{{harvp|Dimbleby|1994|pp=204–206}}.</ref> It was about this time he also recommended that the 25-year-old prince get on with "sowing some wild oats".<ref name="Dimbleby204–206"/> Charles dutifully wrote to Amanda's mother (who was also his godmother and his father's first cousin), [[Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma|Lady Brabourne]], about his interest. Her answer was supportive, but advised him that she thought her daughter still rather young to be [[courted]].<ref name=JD>{{harvp|Dimbleby|1994|pp=263–265}}.</ref>

In February 1975, Charles visited New Delhi to play [[polo]] and was shown around [[Rashtrapati Bhavan]], the former Viceroy's House, by Mountbatten.<ref>{{cite news | title = People in Sports | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1975/02/22/archives/people-in-sports-bench-and-model-married-in-ohio.html | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = 22 February 1975 | access-date = 17 November 2020 | archive-date = 29 April 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220429161921/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/02/22/archives/people-in-sports-bench-and-model-married-in-ohio.html | url-status = live }}</ref>

Four years later, Mountbatten secured an invitation for himself and Amanda to accompany Charles on his planned 1980 tour of India.<ref name=JD/> Their fathers promptly objected. Prince Philip thought that the Indian public's reception would more likely reflect their response to the uncle than to the nephew. [[John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne|Lord Brabourne]] counselled that the intense scrutiny of the press would be more likely to drive Mountbatten's godson and granddaughter apart than together.<ref name=JD/>

Charles was rescheduled to tour India alone, but Mountbatten did not live to the planned date of departure. When Charles finally did propose marriage to Amanda later in 1979, the circumstances were changed and she refused him.<ref name=JD/>