Prince Charles' cousin India Hicks grew up attending royal weddings and vacationing with the prince. But she insists she's not a royal.

• India Hicks is a second cousin and goddaughter to the Prince of Wales.
• Hicks spoke to Insider about her life, insisting that she is "absolutely not" a royal.

"My mother would always make clear to me, 'You are not a member of the royal family,'" India Hicks told Insider over a Zoom call from the Bahamas.

That statement might sound surprising to some, considering that Hicks, 54, is a second cousin and goddaughter to the Prince of Wales. Her mother, Lady Pamela, is a first cousin to the late Prince Philip and former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II.

It came as no surprise when Hicks was asked to be a bridesmaid at Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding when she was 12 years old.

After all, she was close to Charles, and the Hicks family often vacationed with him in the Bahamas when she was growing up. These vacations were one of the only places where Charles "wasn't bothered by anybody," Hicks told Insider.

But despite her relation to the future king, Hicks told Insider that she is "absolutely not" a royal.

Hicks' father wanted her to marry a duke, but she took a different path

She said that her father, the late British designer David Hicks, had a list of possible marriage candidates for her, all of whom were dukes with "vast estates."

"I understood his intentions, but I wasn't the right girl for that list. I was probably always destined to lead a life that was a little less obvious than other girls of my generation and upbringing," Hicks said.

After leaving school, Hicks spent a year traveling before attending university in Boston. She later settled down on Harbour Island in the Bahamas, where she currently lives with her husband, David Flint Wood, and their five children.

She uses her platform to promote causes she is passionate about, including Charles' charity, The Prince's Trust, for which she is an ambassador. The prince launched the organization in 1976 to help young people find opportunities through employment, education, and enterprise.

"He is a really considerate godfather," Hicks said of Charles.

"And I think sometimes, the work he does doesn't get the recognition it deserves. It's extraordinary to think that everything we are doing, he was doing 30 or 40 years ago," Hicks said, and went on to reference Charles' efforts at recycling, rewilding, and "being green before anybody else."

"The Prince of Wales, like his mother, does not take his role lightly. The understanding is that you were born into that position, it may not be that you necessarily like that position, but you work damn hard your entire life for it," she said.

"And as we have seen, there are other members who haven't quite taken the same approach. But I think obviously the Queen has set an outstanding example, she's 70 years on the throne this Sunday, and my God has she worked every day for that," Hicks added.