Editor’s Note
This glimpse into the extravagant world of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, who arrived in Paris in 1928 with a retinue of servants and trunks of jewels, underscores the almost mythical opulence of India’s former royal rulers. Their legendary wealth and lifestyles continue to fascinate as a vivid chapter in history.
The opulent lives of India’s erstwhile kings, maharajas, nawabs, and nizams have always captivated people. Tales of their wealth continue to astonish even today. They possessed glittering palaces, foreign luxury cars, and the world’s most precious gems. One such ruler was Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. His life was no less than a cinematic story. In 1928, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh arrived in Paris with 40 servants and trunks filled with precious gems. He possessed invaluable jewels like rubies, emeralds, pearls, and diamonds. His goal was to have the world’s most expensive and magnificent necklace made. For this, he chose the famous jeweler ‘Boucheron Maison’. ‘Boucheron Maison’ crafted an extraordinary necklace using 7,571 diamonds, 1,432 emeralds, and other gems. It consisted of 149 parts in total. However, the Maharaja gained the most fame through his association with the French jeweler ‘Cartier’. ‘Cartier’ created a stunning necklace named the ‘Patiala Necklace’ from the Maharaja’s gems. This necklace featured the ‘De Beers Yellow Diamond’ (the world’s seventh-largest diamond). Additionally, five platinum strands were set with 2,900 more diamonds.
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was not only fond of jewelry but also loved owning expensive cars. He was the first Indian to purchase his own aircraft. It is believed that his garage housed between 27 to 44 Rolls-Royce cars. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh always wanted to stay ahead of his rivals. This was the reason he decided to have the ‘Patiala Necklace’ made. According to ‘Cartier’ documents, when the Maharaja learned that the Maharaja of Kashmir had commissioned several priceless items, he resolved to do something similar. He sent iron trunks filled with his royal gems to ‘Cartier’. After three years of hard work, ‘Cartier’ completed the ‘Patiala Necklace’. This necklace featured the ‘De Beers Yellow Diamond’. Its weight was over 234 carats. Additionally, five platinum strands were set with 2,900 more diamonds. The entire necklace weighed 962.25 carats.
The ‘Patiala Necklace’ was last seen in 1948 when Bhupinder Singh’s son, Yadavindra Singh, wore it. After that, the necklace disappeared from the royal treasury. Many years later, the necklace was found again, but many gems and the main diamond were missing. Now, the necklace has returned to ‘Cartier’. ‘Cartier’ has replaced the missing parts with imitation gems.
Indian royalty had a deep connection with their hobbies and their Rolls-Royce cars. According to several reports, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh’s garage used to house between 27 to 44 Rolls-Royce cars. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was the first Indian to purchase his own airplane. He was very fond of cricket and polo. This very hobby drew him into the world of aviation. In 1909, when French aviation expert Louis Blériot successfully crossed the English Channel, Bhupinder Singh sent his chief engineer to Europe. According to a report by ‘Simply Flying’, he purchased three aircraft from Britain – two ‘Henry Farman Biplanes’ and one ‘Blériot XI Monoplane’. The Maharaja was also a professional cricketer himself. He captained the Indian cricket team on its tour of England in 1911. During his time, Patiala XI (cricket) and Patiala Tigers (polo) were two of India’s finest teams. He also had the world’s highest cricket ground, the ‘Chail Cricket Ground’, constructed.