Assassination of Lord Mountbatten

Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, a relative of the British royal family, was assassinated on 27 August 1979 by Thomas McMahon, an Irish republican and volunteer for the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Lord Mountbatten in 1977, two years before his assassination

The assassination took place during The Troubles, a conflict between republicans and unionists in Northern Ireland following the Partition of Ireland.^[1] The IRA claimed responsibility three days after the bombing, saying that the attack as "a discriminate act to bring to the attention of the English people the continuing occupation of our country".^[2]

Bombing

The IRA placed a 50 pounds (23 kg) gelignite bomb on Shadow V, a fishing boat owned by Mountbatten in County Sligo, Republic of Ireland.

Mullaghmore Harbour, near the assassination location

The bomb exploded several hours later, after Mountbatten and his family and crew went on the ship and travelled offshore. Mountbatten was found alive by fishermen who rushed to the site of the explosion, but he died before reaching shore. Also killed were Mountbatten's 14-year-old grandson Nicholas Knatchbull, and Paul Maxwell, a teenage boy from Enniskillen serving as crew. The four others aboard—Mountbatten's daughter Patricia; her husband John Knatchbull; their son Timothy (twin brother of Nicholas); and John Knatchbull's mother Doreen—were all seriously injured. Doreen Knatchbull died in hospital the following day.^[3][4]

Reaction

The killing was condemned by UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish Taoiseach Jack Lynch. Many international figures offered their condolences to the royal family, including US President Jimmy Carter and Pope John Paul II.^[5][6]

Funeral

Mountbatten's tomb at Romsey Abbey in Hampshire, near to his home, Broadlands.

On 5 September 1979, the ceremonial funeral was held at Westminster Abbey.^[7] Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Family, other members of European royal houses, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and all her surviving predecessors went to the funeral.

After the public ceremony, which he had planned, he was buried in Romsey Abbey.

References

1. Lord Mountbatten death: Who was he and why was he assassinated?. The Independent (2020-12-20). Retrieved 2022-07-20.
2. Statement by I.R.A.. New York Times (1979-08-31). Retrieved 2022-07-20.
3. Kennedy, Leslie (2020-12-22). The IRA Assassination of Lord Mountbatten: Facts and Fallout. History Channel. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
4. British socialite whose father, Lord Mountbatten, and son were killed by the IRA. Irish Times (2017-06-17). Retrieved 2022-07-20.
5. Seward, Ingrid (2015). The Queen's Speech: An Intimate Portrait of the Queen in her Own Words. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4711-5097-5.
6. Death of Mountbatten: Taoiseach John Lynch message to MT (condolences and condemnation). Margaret Thatcher.org. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
7. "LOUIS, 1st EARL MOUNTBATTEN OF BURMA 1979: A Royal Ceremonial Funeral". Lord Mountbatten. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.