Diamond Thoughts

Maharani Jind Kaur, painted by George Richmond in 1862

This oil on canvas by the renowned portrait artist is the only true likeness of the Maharani that exists. Maharaja Duleep Singh had his favourite family portrait artist paint his mother when she arrived in London in 1861. Richmond had painted several of the Maharajah’s family members

But what is most surprising is that there is not an actual known photograph of the Maharani from 1861

By the the 1860’s photography in Britain was in full flow. Duleep Singh was a keen photographer himself and had albums of photographs taken of his whole family so its highly unlikely he would have missed the chance to have his mother photographed when she arrived in England

I am sure her photographs will turn up one day in an unknown album!

Image courtesy of The Kapany Collection