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‘I am so proud of Ella for all her<br />
achievements, her kindness and<br />
incredible work ethic’<br />
Penny Mountbatten<br />
A country girl at heart, Ella, who plans to go to Bristol University to read<br />
psychology, feeds the deer (above) and poses with sister Alix in front of their<br />
elegant family home (right). Earlier this year she visited India to work for charity<br />
and her appearance at Le Bal will also aid a great cause – Enfants d’Asie<br />
and my friend Alice’s father is a trustee<br />
of Magic Bus so she used to tell me about<br />
the incredible work they do,” says Ella.<br />
“It was very rewarding.”<br />
She happened to be working in a<br />
village on India’s Independence Day,<br />
which commemorates end of the British<br />
Raj. “There was a ceremony in the village<br />
and the Indian flag was raised,” Ella says.<br />
“Everyone thanked us without knowing<br />
I had anything to do with Lord<br />
Mountbatten, who was the Viceroy in<br />
charge of the handover in 1947. Then<br />
the Magic Bus leader asked if he could<br />
tell the headmistress of one of the<br />
schools we worked in and when he did<br />
she started to cry. She said she couldn’t<br />
believe that someone of such high status<br />
would play and interact with the children<br />
as if I were one of them.”<br />
The two friends went to Mumbai and<br />
worked in 22 different slum communities,<br />
coming across references to Lord<br />
Mountbatten throughout their stay. “In<br />
Bangalore Palace we took the guided<br />
tour and on the audio guide it made<br />
reference to Lord Mountbatten and the<br />
King on a tiger shoot. In Gandhi’s house<br />
the first thing I saw was a book about<br />
Uncle Dickie and then a picture of him<br />
having tea with Gandhi. I stood there<br />
with my mouth open. I hadn’t expected<br />
to see so much family history on my trip<br />
and it was very special,” she says.<br />
When she was 16, Ella climbed Mount<br />
Kilimanjaro, raising £5,000 for another<br />
charity, Regain. Now she plans to trek to<br />
Machu Picchu next year to raise further<br />
funds for Magic Bus.<br />
“India really changed me and I would<br />
love to go back one day,” she says.<br />
Meanwhile, her appearance at Le Bal<br />
will also aid a great cause, Enfants d’Asie,<br />
a charity that helps underprivileged<br />
children in East Asia.<br />
For now she is busy supporting her<br />
father at Bridwell with the herds of deer<br />
that provide award-winning venison<br />
for Touch of Hart, his organic meat<br />
business. They are also in the middle of<br />
turning the house into a premier<br />
wedding venue.<br />
Although her parents have been<br />
divorced for five years, they regularly<br />
spend time together as a family in<br />
Devon. Her mother Penny works full<br />
time in London and has been joining<br />
Ella on her gown-fitting visits to Ralph &<br />
Russo in London.<br />
“I am so proud of Ella, for all of her<br />
achievements, her kindness and<br />
incredible work ethic,” says Penny. “Le<br />
Bal is a wonderful opportunity to have<br />
fun while being transported to a<br />
bygone age.”<br />
H<br />
INTERVIEW: SARAH CARTLEDGE<br />
PHOTOS: ANDREW PARSONS AT I-IMAGES/<br />
LE BAL/BUREAU 233<br />
STYLIST: RACHEL GOLD AT MANDY COAKLEY<br />
HAIR: LAURA BUKIN<br />
MAKE-UP: EMMA DAVY<br />
(HEYFORDHOUSEDAYSPA.COM)<br />
FLOWERS: SOPHIE AT EARTHGALLERYFLOWERS.COM. THANKS: BRIDWELL.CO.UK. LAURABUKIN@HOTMAIL.CO.UK. VICKY<br />
FRASER AT STELLADOT.CO.UK<br />
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