The Queen

In a few days, Britain’s longest-reigning Monarch’s earthly remains will be laid to rest on the grounds of Windsor Castle, in an elaborate ceremony befitting her royal status. As many across the world mourn, my thoughts turned to another royal whose final resting place is in the same country,  but one whom not many may know about. 

Duleep Singh was the youngest of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s sons. Ranjit Singh ruled over the mighty kingdom of Punjab, one of the richest and most powerful states in India. He was a brilliant and powerful leader, so much so that the ever ambitious East India Company didn’t dare to attempt to quarrel with them in their quest for expansion in the resource-rich Indian subcontinent. 

In 1839, the great king died, and not soon thereafter, mayhem ensued. After after a series of assassinations and betrayals, all of his heirs lost their lives. All but one, that is: Prince Duleep Singh, his youngest son. 

In 1843, he was crowned the Maharaja of Punjab, with his mother Maharani Jind Kaur ruling as Queen Regent on his behalf. He was 5 years old. 

Seeing opportunity in the instability of Punjab, the British fought two successful wars against the the young Maharaja, the eventual outcome of which was the annexation of the kingdom and the removal of Maharaja Duleep Singh as its sovereign. Separated from his mother, who was exiled to Nepal, the young king became a prisoner of the British. Eventually, Duleep Singh was put into the care of a Christian missionary. He was 10 years old. 

Under close watch by the British, access to young Duleep Singh was strictly controlled and monitored. Cut off from his people, language and his culture, he was completely alone, with strangers. He was made to study Christianity, and converted shortly before being exiled to England. He was 15 years old. 

In England, Queen Victoria became quite fond of the young king. He lived the life of an English gentleman, and was commonly known as “The Black Prince” by the upper echelons of British society. 

He was made to sign a humiliating 5-point agreement on 29 March 1849 to give up all claim of sovereignty over the Punjab, agree to confiscation of all his property, and  surrender the Kohinoor to the Queen of England in lieu of an annual pension of not less than four and not exceeding five lakhs of East India Company's rupees. 

Tragically, this beautiful treasure was then cut down to make it more appeasing to European standards. A portion of this magnificent jewel now sits in the late Queen’s crown - the crown that will soon be worn by England’s new Queen Consort.

Despite living a life of relative luxury, something in Duleep Singh still longed for his former life. He made several attempts at re-connecting with his exiled mother, all which were denied by the British. Eventually, when she was no longer deemed a threat, the British allowed Duleep Singh to travel to Nepal to bring his mother back to England. 

Duleep Singh attempted to return to India multiple times, all of which were also thwarted by the British. Throughout his lifetime, he was only allowed two strict visits to the land of his birth, the first being to transit to retrieve his mother from Nepal, and the second being to return her ashes after her death. On both occasions, he was not permitted to enter Punjab, the land of his forefathers.

In the end, even his pension was stopped by the British Government, and he had to sell his house,  Elveden Hall, which he had purchased out of his pension and rebuilt over five years. From the sale money, he bought tickets for hom and his family to return to India. But he could not make it beyond Aden. He and his family were arrested on 21 April 1886 at Port Said, before the ship could reach the Suez Canal. And on 22 October 1893 Duleep Singh died penniless and alone in a shabby hotel in Paris. 

As we watch and perhaps even participate in the events, tributes and memorials that will be taking place in the coming days, I think it’s also important to take a moment to say a prayer for and pay tribute to our last Maharaja as well, because if we forget him, we forget a part of ourselves....