Lot Essay
Victor Albert was born in June 1866, the eldest son of the Maharajah Duleep Singh and his wife Bamba, the daughter of an Abysinian lady and the German banker Ludwig Muller. Although he was christened at Elvedon, the Queen commanded that the baby be brought to Windsor for a second one, as she wanted to be Godmother. The baby was already 8½ months old, so a different type of service was held in the Chapel Royal, with the Queen naming 'the plump little darling' Victor Albert Jay. The Majarajah's other children were also born at Elvedon: Frederick Victor in 1868, Bamba Sofia Jindan in 1869, Catherine Hilda in 1871, Sophia Alexandra in 1876, and Edward Albert Alexander in 1879.
In the 1860s and '70s the Maharajah was firmly established in society, a member of several clubs, and trying to dabble in politics. His perpetual battle with the India Office continued despite interventions by the Queen, until finally an investigation was set up to look into his affairs, which eventually came to the conclusion that Elvedon should be sold after his death, thus depriving his eldest son Victor of an estate to inherit. Further wrangles over debts, loans and a pension continued over the next few years, culminating in a series of letters to The Times and then an Act of Parliament - The Maharajah Duleep Singh Estate Act in 1882. In order to provide funds for his children he held an auction of his jewellery, rugs and other personal effects. Greatly embittered by these events, he left the country with his wife and children, but being detained at Aden, sent his children home. The Queen was very worried about the children, and Prince Victor in particular. The Maharajah had now settle in Paris, and the Queen, writing in her Journal hoped that she could find 'some kind and firm person (who could) prevent him ruining his children. The Queen's godson she must see should not by ruined by his poor, good-natured but utterly deluded father's follies'.
After settling in Paris, the Majarajah immediately contacted the Russian ambassador, offering his services to that country for use against England, an idea which was not given the great welcome he had anticipated, as the Russians were at the time engaged in detente negotiations with England. Meanwhile his family was living completely deserted in London. The Duke of Grafton and Lord Henniker were asked to act on their behalf, and with the Queen's help, secured an annual income for the new Majarani of #6,300, and for Prince Victor #2,000, who was about to leave Eton, 'a thorough Englishman', as Lord Dufferin described him. It was decided to send him to Sandhurst, and Prince Frederick, also about to leave Eton, to Cambridge. There was some consternation about the ultimate regiment for Prince Victor: 'Surely he would be better in a good regiment like the Scots Greys than the Grenadier Guards...We want him to be under a good colonel in a good regiment which does not go to India', wrote Lord Henniker to Sir Henry Ponsonby. They finally settled on the Royals. The other children who had been almost totally neglected, their mother quite incapable of dealing with the situation, were finally taken into the care of Arthur Oliphant and his wife, the son of the Maharajah's comptroller, who brought them up in Folkestone.
Meanwhile, the Maharajah was associating with every type of anti-British organisation in Paris, issuing proclamation renouncing the Treaty of Lahore, giving up Christianity and returning to the Sikh religion, and announcing that he was going to return to claim his stolen estates in the Punjab. He visited Russia, writing to Prince Victor in glowing terms of life there, and cautioning him not be believe all that the British were saying about him: 'Look upon me as dead', he advised him. At about the same time as he received this letter, the Maharani, who had been living in seclusion at Elvedon, believed by the Queen 'to be dying of a broken heart', collapsed and died. Prince Victor, now Aide-de-Camp to Sir John Rossin, returned to Elvedon, to be confronted with the possibility of its sale, due to his father's behaviour, and he wrote to him begging him to stop his 'made schemes'. It was suggested that he might go to Paris to see his father and try to dissuade him from any further folly, a course that was hastened because the Maharajah had a stroke and was paraolysed all down his left side. Prince Victor spent some time with his father in Paris, and managed to get his father's agreement to act on his behalf, and so restore him to favour and hopefully secure a future for himself, his brothers and sisters. He decided to leave the army so that he could devote himself to the task, and sent to live at 6 Clifton Gardens, Folkestone. The Maharajah visited him there, together with his new wife Ada, whom he had married in Paris in 1889, and with the Prince managed to engineer a final interview for his father with the Queen. This sad occasion took place, supposedly by chance, when she visited Nice and met the Maharajah on his return to Paris, and a reconciliation took place. Prince Victor went with him to Paris, and travelled to and from between France and England, where his younger brother Edward was dying. The Maharajah was in a very feeble state of health, and Victor, whose great friend, Lord Carnarvon was dying in Berlin, was torn between his loyalties to the two. He went to Berlin, and was devastated on his arrival to hear of his death while he had been making the journey, and returned to England to arrange for the burial of his father at Elvedon on 29 October 1893.
Prince Victor married Lady Anne Coventry in 1892, but there were no children of the marriage; he died in 1892. His brother Frederick died unmarried in 1928, having continued to live on the estate and was very popular locally. Elvedon Hall was sold to Lord Iveagh in 1894; the contents were sold by Christie's in
Queen Victoria is known to have asked for a portrait of Prince Victor to be painted for her.
In the 1860s and '70s the Maharajah was firmly established in society, a member of several clubs, and trying to dabble in politics. His perpetual battle with the India Office continued despite interventions by the Queen, until finally an investigation was set up to look into his affairs, which eventually came to the conclusion that Elvedon should be sold after his death, thus depriving his eldest son Victor of an estate to inherit. Further wrangles over debts, loans and a pension continued over the next few years, culminating in a series of letters to The Times and then an Act of Parliament - The Maharajah Duleep Singh Estate Act in 1882. In order to provide funds for his children he held an auction of his jewellery, rugs and other personal effects. Greatly embittered by these events, he left the country with his wife and children, but being detained at Aden, sent his children home. The Queen was very worried about the children, and Prince Victor in particular. The Maharajah had now settle in Paris, and the Queen, writing in her Journal hoped that she could find 'some kind and firm person (who could) prevent him ruining his children. The Queen's godson she must see should not by ruined by his poor, good-natured but utterly deluded father's follies'.
After settling in Paris, the Majarajah immediately contacted the Russian ambassador, offering his services to that country for use against England, an idea which was not given the great welcome he had anticipated, as the Russians were at the time engaged in detente negotiations with England. Meanwhile his family was living completely deserted in London. The Duke of Grafton and Lord Henniker were asked to act on their behalf, and with the Queen's help, secured an annual income for the new Majarani of #6,300, and for Prince Victor #2,000, who was about to leave Eton, 'a thorough Englishman', as Lord Dufferin described him. It was decided to send him to Sandhurst, and Prince Frederick, also about to leave Eton, to Cambridge. There was some consternation about the ultimate regiment for Prince Victor: 'Surely he would be better in a good regiment like the Scots Greys than the Grenadier Guards...We want him to be under a good colonel in a good regiment which does not go to India', wrote Lord Henniker to Sir Henry Ponsonby. They finally settled on the Royals. The other children who had been almost totally neglected, their mother quite incapable of dealing with the situation, were finally taken into the care of Arthur Oliphant and his wife, the son of the Maharajah's comptroller, who brought them up in Folkestone.
Meanwhile, the Maharajah was associating with every type of anti-British organisation in Paris, issuing proclamation renouncing the Treaty of Lahore, giving up Christianity and returning to the Sikh religion, and announcing that he was going to return to claim his stolen estates in the Punjab. He visited Russia, writing to Prince Victor in glowing terms of life there, and cautioning him not be believe all that the British were saying about him: 'Look upon me as dead', he advised him. At about the same time as he received this letter, the Maharani, who had been living in seclusion at Elvedon, believed by the Queen 'to be dying of a broken heart', collapsed and died. Prince Victor, now Aide-de-Camp to Sir John Rossin, returned to Elvedon, to be confronted with the possibility of its sale, due to his father's behaviour, and he wrote to him begging him to stop his 'made schemes'. It was suggested that he might go to Paris to see his father and try to dissuade him from any further folly, a course that was hastened because the Maharajah had a stroke and was paraolysed all down his left side. Prince Victor spent some time with his father in Paris, and managed to get his father's agreement to act on his behalf, and so restore him to favour and hopefully secure a future for himself, his brothers and sisters. He decided to leave the army so that he could devote himself to the task, and sent to live at 6 Clifton Gardens, Folkestone. The Maharajah visited him there, together with his new wife Ada, whom he had married in Paris in 1889, and with the Prince managed to engineer a final interview for his father with the Queen. This sad occasion took place, supposedly by chance, when she visited Nice and met the Maharajah on his return to Paris, and a reconciliation took place. Prince Victor went with him to Paris, and travelled to and from between France and England, where his younger brother Edward was dying. The Maharajah was in a very feeble state of health, and Victor, whose great friend, Lord Carnarvon was dying in Berlin, was torn between his loyalties to the two. He went to Berlin, and was devastated on his arrival to hear of his death while he had been making the journey, and returned to England to arrange for the burial of his father at Elvedon on 29 October 1893.
Prince Victor married Lady Anne Coventry in 1892, but there were no children of the marriage; he died in 1892. His brother Frederick died unmarried in 1928, having continued to live on the estate and was very popular locally. Elvedon Hall was sold to Lord Iveagh in 1894; the contents were sold by Christie's in
Queen Victoria is known to have asked for a portrait of Prince Victor to be painted for her.