Photography and the Royal Family
From Queen Victoria and Prince Albert onwards, photography has been important to the Royal Family
Maharaja Dalip Singh of Lahore (1838-93)
7 Jun 1856RCIN 2915336
Maharaja Duleep Singh of Lahore was the last Sikh ruler of the Punjab. Following the British annexation of the territory in 1849 he settled in England in 1854. This portrait was taken at Roehampton by the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, who regularly visited the Maharaja at his estate at Elveden Hall, Suffolk. It is possible this is the first photograph that the Prince ever took, as records show he did not buy his first camera until 18 June 1857. The Prince's interest in photography was developed further when photographer Francis Bedford accompanied him on a tour of the Middle East in 1862. The Royal Collection also holds six finely-bound photographs albums compiled by Bourne and Shepherd which document the Prince's tour of India in 1875–6.