Lord Louis Mountbatten, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, was the last viceroy of India and played a principal role in ushering that country from colonialism to Commonwealth status. Following independence, he filled the role of India's first Governor-General. He was not only a member of the British royal family (his great-grandmother was Queen Victoria) but a successful naval officer during World War II. He served as Supreme Commander of South-East Asia and oversaw the expulsion of Japanese forces from Burma. Post-war, Mountbatten commanded NATO forces in the Mediterranean and was chief of the British defense staff. Mountbatten was murdered by IRA terrorists while on vacation in Ireland.