UK's Thetford Museum gets £200K in funds to exhibit Sikh empire’s royal history

Last ruler of Sikh empire: The Ancient House Museum in Norfolk's Thetford has been granted £198,059 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to commemorate the legacy of Maharajah Duleep Singh, the last ruler of the Sikh empire. Established in 1924 by Prince Frederick Duleep Singh, the museum will use the funds to narrate the family's history through various exhibits.

Maharajah Duleep Singh, the youngest son of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, ascended to the throne of the Sikh empire at the age of five but was dethroned when Britain annexed the Punjab in 1849. After arriving in England at the age of 15, he settled at Elveden Hall in Suffolk, where his family resided for the next century.

The grant will support a two-year project at the museum, showcasing the intriguing history of the Duleep Singh family. The displays will encompass a rich 'treasury' of Anglo-Punjab history, a model of Elveden Hall, a loaned portrait of Duleep Singh, and exhibits highlighting the family's contributions to achieving universal suffrage.

The museum plans to feature items belonging to the Duleep Singh family, including Duleep Singh's walking stick gifted by King Edward VII. Prince Frederick, Duleep Singh's second son, generously donated the Ancient House Museum to Thetford's residents after serving in World War One as part of the Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry.

Robyn Llewellyn, the director of England, Midlands, and East for the National Lottery Heritage Fund, expressed enthusiasm for the project, while Margaret Dewsbury, the Conservative cabinet member for communities at Norfolk County Council, praised Prince Frederick's foresighted generosity in preserving the town's history for the past century. Additional funding for the project has been secured from the Thetford Town Council community grant, the Friends of Thetford Museum, Norfolk County Council, and Arts Council England.

(With PTI inputs)