Sita Devi (Maharani of Kapurthala)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Not to be confused with Sita Devi, Maharani of Baroda.
Princess Sita Devi
Princess Sita Devi (mid-1930s)
Born30 September 1915
Died2002
SpousePrince Karamjit Singh of Kapurthala
(m. 1928 - 1967; his death)
IssuePrince Arun Singh
Prince Martand Singh
FatherUdai Raj Singh I, Prince of Kashipur
MotherPrincess Devi of Bashahr

Princess Sita Devi, Princess Karamjit Singh of Kapurthala (30 September 1915 − 2002),[

Punjab, British India. In 1944, she was awarded the Empire of India Medal for her work in raising funds for Indian soldiers in the Second World War
.

She was widely regarded as one of the most glamorous women of her day.[1]

Early life and education

Maharaj Kumar Rani of Kapurthala by Andre Durst (1934)

Sita Devi was born in 1915 to the Hindu Rajput Raja Uday Raj Singh of Kashipur, Uttarakhand.[2]

At age 13, she married Prince Karamjit Singh, a younger son of the Sikh

Punjab, British India.[2] Her sister-in-law was Brinda Devi, making Princess Indira Devi her niece.[2] As a devote Hindu, she kept her Nepalese cooks with her in order to produce vegetarian food and special Hindu meals for fasts.[3] At her wish, her husband arranged for her to have lessons in Sanskrit, German, Italian, mathematics, history and Hindu rituals.[2] She subsequently became fluent in five languages.[4]

Life in Europe

Her first trip to Europe was in 1934.[4] In London, an "onlooker" in the Daily Mail wrote that "Princess Karam is pale. In her own country she is considered the most beautiful of the Princesses; they call her the "Rose of India"."[4] That year Cathleen Mann's sketch of her was displayed at the New English Art Club show at the Suffolk Street Galleries.[5] Subsequently, in Paris, the media widely reported on her looks.[2][4] In 1938 her portrait featured in Oliver Messel's exhibition.[6]

She was a muse for several photographers, including Cecil Beaton and Man Ray.[2] Vogue named her "one of the most beautiful women in the world".[7]

At the turn of the 20th century, Indian princesses were increasingly wearing western garments, whether openly or under purdah.[8] Sita Devi's preferred couturier was Mainbocher, who designed chiffon saris and fur coats for her, and designed the wedding dress for Wallis Simpson's nuptials with the Duke of Windsor.[8][9][10]

The couturier

Lady Mendl's tea in honor of the Hollywood dietitian, Gayelord Hauser, Sita Devi was listed among the twelve most glamorous women in the world.[12]

At the end of the summer in 1939, Devi was a guest of honour at a party hosted by Elsie de Wolfe.[13]

Death and legacy

Sita Devi died in 2002. Her grandson is the jewellery designer Hanut Singh.[14]

Honours

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-86565-174-6
  2. ^
    OCLC 932267190
    .
  3. ISBN 978-0-520-27012-1
    .
  4. ^ a b c d "Gossip of London: the pale princess". Belfast Telegraph. 15 June 1934. p. 810 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "What every woman wants to know". The Sketch. 2 November 1938. p. 223 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Beauty from Oliver Messel's Exhibition". The Sketch. 30 November 1938. p. 415 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. OCLC 932267190
    .
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-1-85196-064-4
    .
  9. ISBN 978-1-61312-980-7
    .
  10. ^ Jaffer, Amin (10 December 2006) "Made for maharajas". The Tribune. Excerpt from Made for Maharajas: A Design Diary of Princely India
  11. ISBN 978-0-8478-4548-4
    .
  12. ^ Time 13 February 1939
  13. ^ Franklin, Ruth (20 September 2004). "A Life in Good Taste". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  14. ^ "A Journey into the world of Jewelry Designer Hanut Singh". Thomas Fuchs Creative. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Kaisar-i-Hind Silver Medal". Civil & Military Gazette. Vol. LXV, no. 6085. Lahore. 1 January 1944 – via British Newspaper Archive.

External links

Media related to Sita Devi (Maharani of Kapurthala) at Wikimedia Commons

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