The last princesses of Punjab | Sophia: Princess who turned into a political force

In a striking historical irony, Kensington Palace, once home to Queen Victoria, is currently hosting a tribute to Punjab’s royal family her Empire deposed 177 years ago.

The Last Princesses of Punjab, an exhibition that opened on March 26, unearths the poignant saga of the descendants of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Lion of Punjab. Through a mélange of sepia-toned photographs, rare royal artefacts and priceless heirlooms, it traces the lives of the children of Maharaja Duleep Singh, Ranjit’s youngest son and the last ruler of Sikh empire, who was exiled to England in 1849 after the British annexation of his Khalsa empire.

Raised at Elveden Hall, his daughters Sophia, Bamba, and Catherine navigated a complex world shaped by their Punjabi royalty and their mother Bamba Müller’s Ethiopian-German roots.

British Sikh art collector-researcher Peter Bance calls the exhibition a “labour of love.” As the author of the book, The Last Royals of Lahore, to be unveiled in India on April 10, Bance focuses on the “correct preservation, restoration, and documentation” of Anglo-Punjab history. The London display explores the story of Sophia Duleep Singh and the women who shaped her journey, examining themes of courage, identity, and resistance.

While Queen Victoria served as godmother to Sophia and provided financial guidance after Duleep Singh abandoned the family, the sisters forged radically independent paths. Princess Sophia became a pioneering suffragette voice at Hampton Court Palace. Her ‘No Vote, No Tax’ banners and a handwritten letter to Winston Churchill describing police brutality are central to the exhibition.

The exhibition, open until November 8, 2026, also covers Princess Bamba, who sought to reconnect with her Punjabi heritage through her writings, and Princess Catherine, who quietly supported Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany by offering them shelter in England.

A crowning highlight is the portrait of their grandmother, Maharani Jind Kaur, reunited with her original jewellery for the first time in over a century. Together, these stories present a powerful portrait of resilience and the lasting impact of the extraordinary women of the Sikh Empire, a legacy that continues to resonate more than a century and a half later.