Interview by Karen Kranenburg, pictures from the personal collection of HH Rajmata Gayatri Devi.

If ever Jaipur had a sparkling human Crown Jewel, it was without a doubt the late Rajmata Gayatri Devi. She brought something to the Pink that made it shine. I had the privilege of meeting her a number of times, and the last time was shortly before she passed away, on one of my manic trips to Rajasthan for an India v Pakistan polo match.

Devi was a tour de force, but reminded me, quite sadly, of a lioness in winter, still proud, incalculably defiant but somewhat weathered by the abiding trials of her life. Age, however, couldn’t wither her infinite beauty and, at 89, she was still radiating a timeless and effortless classic elegance. Once described by Vogue as one of the most beautiful women in the world, the handsome face had grown with the body almost leonine in looks and the hair whilst still thick and lustrous, had become silver grey. A favourite of society columnists and photographers the world over, despite all the accolades, she was modest about the world’s enduring fascination with her beauty. “I don’t know anything about being beautiful; this is in other people’s eyes,” she said.

I had previously met the Rajmata (“Queen Mother”) in London, where she had kindly agreed to present the trophies for a polo match I was organising between India and Pakistan in honour of the ancient polo traditions of the fair city of Jaipur, a city I have come to love like a second home. My first impressions of her were of a feisty, no-nonsense woman, who pulled the grande dame act occasionally, but with a glint of mischief in her eyes as she did.

My trip to Rajasthan this time was destined to be a somewhat giddy affair, so I saved my visit with her for my last day in Jaipur, you know as they say “save the best for last”. To me she was truly an extraordinary woman. Despite her life of privilege she faced and overcame considerable adversity. The world witnessed her political courage and her dignified acceptance of life’s vicissitudes — the loss of her dear husband in a polo accident in 1970, her only child Jagat in 1997, a five-month ordeal in a rat-infested cell in Tihar jail under Indira Gandhi’s regime, and a very public battle with her grandchildren and the present Maharajah of Jaipur over her late son’s will. Adversity such as this would have destroyed lesser mortals, but the Rajmata was, if nothing, a survivor and I wanted to be able to savour and enjoy the time we spent together. As agreed I went to meet with her one morning at Lilypool, her elegant home which sits on the grounds of the Rambagh Palace. As I arrived she was already ready and waiting and admonishing me like an affectionate elder to an errant grandchild. Deservedly so on this occasion! But that is another story for another time.

If there is one person who could have understood my feelings about the city of Jaipur and the temptation that draws me to it, it was the Rajmata. She left her home in Bengal 68 years ago to marry the erstwhile Man Singh II, the then Maharajah of Jaipur. Love in the “Pink City”. Theirs was a love story that has been endlessly documented; it was a fairy-tale romance, but sadly, without the happy ending. He presented her with a beautiful diamond ring at their secret engagement. “Jai told me that I should not let anyone know that it was a gift from him. I laughed and said that nobody in their right mind would think that I had gone out and bought such a ring for myself! He started to laugh too, and we decided that I should wear it only at night when I went to sleep. I even found a special pleasure in keeping it to myself and admiring it on my finger when I was alone”. Gayatri Devi fell in love with Man Singh (whom she called “Jai”), at the tender age of 19. Their marriage was initially opposed by her parents, as Man Singh already had two wives, the daughters of the Maharajah of Jodhpur, but Gayatri Devi was in love and if nothing had a steely determination, which you could still see glimpses of until her passing. Eventually, her parents relented and they were married in 1939. She was the Maharaja’s third wife, but the first one he chose; his other two wives were chosen for him. Their marriage was a lavish affair, and the Rajmata wistfully told me that it is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive wedding in history (not her only entry in this great tome). There were so many guests that her father’s palace in Bengal could not accommodate them all. Her presents included a blue Bentley, a two-seater Packard and a mansion in the Himalayas. Her trousseau included sheets from Czechoslovakia, shoes from Florence, and nightgowns in mousseline de soie from Paris.

Her marriage to Man Singh, and her subsequent arrival in Jaipur as his queen, heralded a new age for the great city and its people. Rebellious might be too strong a word to use to describe her, but she was wilful, and forward-thinking, and had her own ideas of what married life as the Maharani would be like. She took it upon herself to bring the women of Rajasthan out of the purdah. She was raised by a woman who did not hold the custom of purdah, but Jaipur did practise purdah when she first moved there. Gradually she “broke” out of the women’s palace and moved more freely in the world; this was a movement that she and “Jai” planned together before their marriage. (The actual translation of the word purdah is screen or veil. Purdah is the practice that includes the seclusion of women from public observation by wearing concealing clothing from head to toe and by the use of high walls, curtains, and screens erected within the home.)

Her enduring passion, though, was for the sport of polo and Jaipur has an unmatched polo tradition. Despite the ultimate tragedy that the sport caused her (in 1970, her husband Maharjah Man Singh II suffered an accident while playing polo in Cirencester Park in England. He died later the same day.) He was especially noted as an enthusiastic 10-goal polo player, winning, among other trophies, the World Cup in 1933. To the end she remained a loyal advocate and keen supporter of the sport, not only in India but overseas as well. She never thought to distance herself from polo even after the Maharajah’s tragic death. If anything she became even more involved, almost as homage to his great passion and their great love. She was always emphatic about the role the sport had played in her life.

Though she never played there herself, she used to do the commentary at the palace grounds when no one else was available, and from all accounts, she was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable commentator. To this day, the polo grounds at the Rambagh Palace are a testament to the city and the family’s association with the sport, and though the palace is now a luxury five-star hotel of some considerable note, the adjoining grounds still host lavish polo events during the Jaipur season annually, and the Rajmata to the end could still be seen holding court as in the days of yore.

India and Jamaica have strong polo traditions going back generations – so come out on Sunday, June 29 to see Jaipur take on Jamaica at the Kingston Polo Club for Sagicor Investments’ “A Night Under The Stars”.

Other partners for this one-of-a-kind experience are Visa, the official partner of the Olympic Games, Pony Club, Porsche and Round Hill Hotel and Villas.

The polo grounds at the Rambagh Palace are a testament to the family’s association with the sport. (Photos courtesy of HH Rajmata Gayatri Devi)

HH Rajmata Gayatri Devi on the campaign trail

Royal Residence, Rambagh Palace, Jaipur

HH Rajmata Gayatri Devi with her son Jagat

A carousel of images over the years of the late HH Rajmata Gayatri Devi