Friday 28 October 2016

Speech at graveside of Maharajah Duleep Singh


Commemoration event to mark anniversary of the death of Maharajah Duleep Singh:

Maharajah Duleep Singh spent many years of his life here at Elveden, having purchased the Hall around 1863, he initiated a major expansion of the Hall and created one of the premier sporting estates in England. His children were brought up here, and through his efforts the population of the village and surrounding hamlets almost doubled. In 1877 the Maharajah hosted a visit by the Prince of Wales and he was joined on regular occasions by other dignitaries including the then Duke of Cambridge. During his time at Elveden,the Maharajah restored, the church, the estate cottages and the village school. Upon his death, Prince Frederick brought his father's body back to Elveden. His coffin, on the occasion of his burial was borne by the Estate Gamekeepers, whose descendants still live in and around Thetford.
His family maintained links with the Thetford area, and his second son Prince Frederick was a major benefactor of Thetford, firstly founding the Ancient House Museum and generously donating some of his personal collections, and latterly a large selection of his portrait collection comprising a wide range of East Anglian families.




The graves here today are a key part of  the Anglo-Sikh Heritage trail and mark the final resting place of  Duleep Singh ,his  first wife Maharani Bamba and young Prince Albert. This wreath commemorates the death of Maharajah Duleep Singh on this very day in 1893 and is freely given on behalf of the people of Thetford.

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