Victor Duleep Singh
Encyclopedia
Prince Victor Albert Jay Duleep Singh (10 July 1866- June 7, 1918) was the eldest son of Maharani Bamba Müller
and Maharaja Duleep Singh
, the last Maharaja
of Lahore
, and of the Sikh Empire, and the grandson of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
.
and Trinity College, Cambridge
, where he met Lady Anne Blanche Alice Coventry whom he would later marry. In 1887 he joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
, getting a special Cadet-ship, and left it in the following December to be commissioned as Lieutenant in the 1st (Royal) Dragoons.
In 1889 he was stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia
, and a member of the staff of Gen. Sir John Ross, commander of British forces in British North America
. In December, he was rumoured to be engaged with Jeanne Turnure, daughter of Lawrence Turnure, a New York banker, after staying in the their New Port home, the previous summer; the rumour was however denied by the banker . In February the following year, he took a three month leave of absence to meet his father in Paris, when rumours of creditors became afloat for the first time . In all he remained part of the Royal Dragoons till 1898, when he resigned .
On the death of his father he succeeded him, as Head of the Royal House of the Punjab, 23 October 1893 .
On 4 January 1898, Prince Victor Albert Jay Duleep Singh married Lady Anne Conventry who was eight years younger than he was, the marriage created quite a sensation, as it was the first time, that an Indian prince married an English noble woman, the daughter of George William Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry. The marriage was made possible primarily due to the intervention of the Prince of Wales
, (subsequently Edward VII
) the marriage took place at St Peter’s Church, Eaton Square
, London, where Queen Victoria was also represented.
He was declared bankrupt by the courts on 4 September 1902, with a debt to the tune of $471,600, despite his $35,000 annual allowance and his wife's income of $10,000. The bankruptcy was attributed to bad investments and gambling, something that plagued him for the rest of his life
He died, without issue, aged 51, on 7 June 1918, and was buried at the Anglican Cemetery above Monte Carlo
. Beside him is the grave of his wife who died aged 82, on 2nd July 1956 .
Bamba Müller
Maharani Bamba Duleep Singh born Bamba Müller was the wife of Maharaja Duleep Singh. Brought up by Christian missionaries, she married Duleep Singh and became Maharani Bamba, wife of the last Maharaja of Lahore...
and Maharaja Duleep Singh
Duleep Singh
This article is about Maharaja Dalip Singh. For other uses, see Dalip SinghMaharaja Dalip Singh, GCSI , commonly called Duleep Singh and later in life nicknamed the Black Prince of Perthshire, was the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire...
, the last Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
of Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, and of the Sikh Empire, and the grandson of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
.
Biography
Victor Duleep Singh was educated at EtonEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, where he met Lady Anne Blanche Alice Coventry whom he would later marry. In 1887 he joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, getting a special Cadet-ship, and left it in the following December to be commissioned as Lieutenant in the 1st (Royal) Dragoons.
In 1889 he was stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, and a member of the staff of Gen. Sir John Ross, commander of British forces in British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
. In December, he was rumoured to be engaged with Jeanne Turnure, daughter of Lawrence Turnure, a New York banker, after staying in the their New Port home, the previous summer; the rumour was however denied by the banker . In February the following year, he took a three month leave of absence to meet his father in Paris, when rumours of creditors became afloat for the first time . In all he remained part of the Royal Dragoons till 1898, when he resigned .
On the death of his father he succeeded him, as Head of the Royal House of the Punjab, 23 October 1893 .
On 4 January 1898, Prince Victor Albert Jay Duleep Singh married Lady Anne Conventry who was eight years younger than he was, the marriage created quite a sensation, as it was the first time, that an Indian prince married an English noble woman, the daughter of George William Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry. The marriage was made possible primarily due to the intervention of the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, (subsequently Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
) the marriage took place at St Peter’s Church, Eaton Square
Eaton Square
Eaton Square is a residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is one of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia in the 19th century, and is named after Eaton Hall, the Grosvenor country house in Cheshire...
, London, where Queen Victoria was also represented.
He was declared bankrupt by the courts on 4 September 1902, with a debt to the tune of $471,600, despite his $35,000 annual allowance and his wife's income of $10,000. The bankruptcy was attributed to bad investments and gambling, something that plagued him for the rest of his life
He died, without issue, aged 51, on 7 June 1918, and was buried at the Anglican Cemetery above Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
. Beside him is the grave of his wife who died aged 82, on 2nd July 1956 .
Further reading
- The Duleep Singh's: The Photograph Album of Queen Victoria's Maharajah, by Pete Peter (Bhupinder Singh Bance). Sutton Publishing, ISBN 0-7509-3488-3.
- Letters to Prince Victor Duleep Singh as a schoolboy from his parents and others. Also copies of Prince Victor's letters of 1897 to Queen Victoria and the Secretary of State for India on the subject of his engagement to Lady Anne Coventry.