The Last Princesses of Punjab

Jind Kaur

Sophia's grandmother, Jind Kaur, was a defiant Maharani who acted as regent of the Sikh Empire on behalf of her young son, Maharaja Duleep Singh. Following her armies’ defeat in the Anglo-Sikh Wars, she was imprisoned. She was forcibly separated from her child for 13 years when he was sent to England.

The Last Princesses of Punjab exhibition will feature an emerald and seed pearl necklace, representing the power and wealth of the Sikh Empire that Jind once presided over. This necklace was confiscated from her by The East India Company in 1848, but it was later returned following negotiations with her son.

Also on display will be a makara head enamelled gold bangle set with sapphires, once owned by Jind Kaur. This symbolised protection and fertility. Traditionally, a gift like this would have been passed from mother to daughter; in Jind’s absence, Duleep Singh gifted the bracelet to his bride, Bamba Muller.

Bamba Muller

The young daughter of a German banker and enslaved Ethiopian woman born in Egypt, Bamba grew up in poverty and was educated at a Christian mission in Cairo. There, she met her husband Maharaja Duleep Singh and moved to England.

The exhibition will feature a letter written by Bamba in Arabic and English, showing how she was caught between two worlds. Its contents suggest her life in England was not always a happy one; she died a year after her husband left his family in 1886.

Catherine Duleep Singh

Catherine Duleep Singh was an unassuming ‘guarantor’ to Jewish refugees escaping Nazi Germany and has become an icon for LGBTQ+ South Asian women. She lived a quiet life in Germany with her former chaperone Lina Schaeffer, with whom she shared a deeply personal and intimate relationship.

Letters between Catherine and Sophia, some of which are included in the exhibition, offer a glimpse of Catherine’s feelings for her beloved companion.

Following Lina’s death, Catherine helped numerous Jewish refugees to seek sanctuary in Britain, offering accommodation and employment at her home in Buckinghamshire.  

Princess Bamba Sutherland

Princess Bamba Sutherland considered herself heir to her grandfather Ranjit Singh’s empire, and returned to live in Lahore in the 1940s. 

In a letter dating from 1948, Princess Bamba makes her claims to the vast lands of her father, unfairly lost to the British. She valued the rich heritage of her family’s empire and invested in collecting and preserving traditional crafts; sarees worn by the Princess both in Norfolk and Lahore will be on display.