London: Indian prince's historic mansion goes on sale for 15.5 million pounds

A historic mansion resided by the Indian prince in London, UK has gone on sale for 15.5 million pounds. Maharaja Duleep Singh’s youngest son, Prince Victor Albert Jay Duleep Singh, was gifted the “grace-and-favour” mansion by the British authorities after he married Lady Anne Coventry, daughter of the 9th Earl of Coventry. The iconic mansion is located in The Little Boltons, in south-west Kensington, UK. 

Renowned in history as the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire in the 19th century, Duleep Singh was exiled to England during the British rule. His son, Prince Victor was born in London in 1866, who later wedded the English woman and settled in the UK. While the Prince had died in 1918 during the times of the World War I in Monaco, the palace was resided by his 82-year-old widow, Anne, until late 1956. The former died aged 51. In 1868, the East India Company’s quasi-government bought the mansion for rental income, as per reports. However, the British crown, in 1858 acquired the assets and displaced the Singh family. 

"This substantial former grace-and-favour home of the exiled Crown Prince of Lahore has been designed to provide excellent proportions and benefits from high ceilings, large living spaces and a 52 ft rear garden", PTI quoted Director of Beauchamp Estates, the company that organized the refurbishing and sale, as saying.

He added, It is located in one of south-west Kensington’s most sought after residential addresses.

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Staffed by butler, two maids, a governess

Post Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849 Maharaja Duleep Singh was stripped off his title and banished from Punjab, India in 1849. He settled in London with Maharani Bamba Muller. The royal couple had the eldest daughter named Sophia Duleep Singh who came to be known as a popular women’s rights activist in the history of British Rule. A retrieved1871 Census revealed that the palace under the East India Firm possession was staffed by a butler, two maids, a governess for English language classes, and a gardener.

The nearly 5,613 sq ft large Italianate-styled mansion went under private ownership in 2010, as per Beauchamp Estates report. The palace includes a kitchen,  gymnasium, family room, a principal bedroom suite, and breakfast room, five bedrooms, and two staff bedrooms. The mansion also flaunts a 52-foot backyard, managing director Gee revealed. 

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(With Inputs and Image From PTI)