Maharajah Duleep Singh: Indian boy king's warm friendship with Queen Victoria

An ongoing accumulation successful the UK shines a spotlight connected the singular beingness of the past Sikh emperor of the Punjab - Maharajah Duleep Singh.

Duleep Singh was the youngest lad of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, who founded the Sikh empire successful the Punjab successful 1799.

After the deaths of his begetter and brother, Duleep Singh became ruler of the kingdom astatine the property of five, but was removed from the throne aft Britain annexed the Punjab successful 1849.

At the property of 15, helium arrived successful England and ended up spending the remainder of his beingness successful the country. Over the years, a lukewarm relationship would make betwixt Britain's reigning monarch - Queen Victoria - and the erstwhile king of the Punjab.

The accumulation astatine the Archive Centre successful Norwich offers a glimpse into this improbable friendship. It coincides with the past Sikh emperor's 129th commencement anniversary, celebrated connected 22 October.

"One of my favourite items successful the accumulation is simply a signed diary by Queen Victoria which reads: To Maharajah Duleep Singh from his affectionate friend, Victoria, Windsor Castle, March 1868," says UK-based historiographer and creation collector Peter Bance. "This is simply a truly intimate and idiosyncratic inscription [by the Queen] referring to the erstwhile King of the Punjab arsenic her friend,'' helium adds.

Mr Bance has loaned his idiosyncratic postulation of memorabilia connected Duleep Singh and says that this is the archetypal clip that galore of these historical objects are being displayed to the public. He hopes "visitors volition bask seeing these [objects] arsenic overmuch arsenic I did discovering them".

Through assorted artefacts, the accumulation traces the fascinating beingness of Duleep Singh. After the young maharajah was stripped of his sovereignty and his parent was imprisoned, helium was enactment nether the guardianship of service surgeon Sir John Spencer Login and his wife, Lady Login.

During this period, Duleep Singh began exploring Christianity and a Bible talented by his attendant successful 1850 is included successful the exhibition. Also connected show is simply a velvet overgarment worn by the erstwhile emperor, shooting paraphernalia helium utilized connected hunting trips with the past Prince of Wales - aboriginal King Edward VII, arsenic good arsenic his photographs and letters.

Duleep Singh joined Bamba Muller, girl of a German banker, successful 1864 and made Elveden Hall, a stately location successful the Suffolk countryside, their household home.

The mates had six children and the accumulation has connected show garments worn by his daughters, Princess Catherine, Princess Bamba and Princess Sophia. Princesses Bamba and Sophia were well-known suffragists who supported women's close to ballot successful the aboriginal 1900s.

A subject azygous and objects belonging to Duleep Singh's 2nd son, Prince Frederick Duleep Singh, are besides portion of the exhibition.

Mr Bance has been researching and collecting artefacts related to Duleep Singh and his household for implicit 25 years.

"I came to Norfolk with a Sikh nine radical from our assemblage campus, and portion we were visiting, I insisted that we halt astatine Maharajah Duleep Singh's sedate astatine Elveden," helium says. He besides didn't cognize overmuch astir Duleep Singh and his bequest astatine the time.

While helium was visiting the grave, an aged woman informed him astir a depository that was dedicated to the erstwhile ruler of the Punjab and his family. Through his research, Mr Bance learnt that the depository - the Ancient House Museum - was erstwhile a 15th Century Tudor location which Prince Frederick Duleep Singh bought successful 1921 and aboriginal converted to a museum.

Three years later, helium donated the depository to the section radical on with a fig of idiosyncratic artefacts. On asking the museum's curator for books connected the family, Mr Bance says helium was told that "they had books connected Duleep Singh but thing connected his children''.

To find retired much astir the Sikh ruler's life, Mr Bance says helium placed a bid of advertisements successful the newspaper, asking locals to stock immoderate accusation they had astir Duleep Singh's children.

Over the adjacent six months, helium received implicit 300 letters from radical informing him that they either knew 1 of the household members oregon were successful possession of immoderate artefact related to them.

"I started signaling these people's interviews and penning down their memories," says Mr Bance. He besides began collecting artefacts, which immoderate radical gave for free, portion others helium had to purchase.

"I anticipation that this accumulation volition beryllium a springboard for the younger procreation of British Indians to delve into their past and observe absorbing artefacts that are retired there."