Catherine Hilda Duleep Singh, born October 27, 1871, was the second daughter of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the last king of the Sikh Empire in India. Catherine was the middle child of three sisters, Bamba and Sophia. Due to British colonialism, the Maharaja was ousted from his kingdom, and was housed in Britain. Queen Victoria had a particular interest in India, due to its culture, and took a great liking to Singh and his family. As a result, they were quickly integrated into high society. Specifically, Catherine received many private lessons, such as piano, violin, and even swimming. She studied French and German at Somerville College, Oxford, but was not awarded a degree. Unfortunately, women did not receive recognition for higher learning at this time.
While she was a child, Singh’s father traveled back to India, attempting to regain his throne. While he was gone, their godmother, Queen Victoria, granted the Singh sisters and their mother residence at the Faraday House at Hampton Court. After her mother’s death from diabetes, Singh and her sisters were moved to Folkestone and were placed under the care of Arthur Oliphant. Here, Singh was introduced to Lina Schäfer, a German governess who later became her lover.
As a young woman, Singh was a driven political activist and a successful suffragette. She was a member of the Fawcett Women’s Suffrage Group and the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies. In fact, she even raised money for women’s right to vote by planting a forest of Christmas trees in Birmingham. The Singh sisters were all committed suffragettes, and used their political and royal connections to make real changes in the fight for womens’ vote. Singh never forgot her Indian heritage, and visited her home country of India in 1903 when she was 22. She toured holy cities such as Amritsar and attended Diwali festivals and feasts. Singh also met the dedicated men who fought under her grandfather, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, also called the Lion of Punjab, the founder of the Sikh empire.
In 1908, Singh and Lina Schäfer moved to Kassel, Germany, where Schäfer was originally from. Luckily, Singh’s family approved of this arrangement. The couple lived peacefully together, writing about their happiness with each other as lovers in their personal accounts. As the Nazi party came to power in the 1930s, Singh and Schäfer helped Jewish families flee to safety by providing safe passage to England. The couple provided safe passage to Britain by smuggling people across the border. They used their prestige and money to help pay sums and save victims of the Holocaust.
Lina Schäfer passed away from diabetes at age 79 on August 26, 1937. Singh was in grief and mourned Schäfer’s death greatly. In her will, Singh requested that a part of her ashes be buried as close as possible to the coffin of Lina Schäfer. They had lived happily together as lovers for almost 30 years
After the passing of her partner, Singh felt there was nothing much left for her in Germany, and traveled back to England. There, she moved in with Bamba and Sophia, her two sisters. They lived in Coalhatch House in Penn, Buckinghamshire. Here, Singh gave residence to Jewish families fleeing the Nazi regime. Coalhatch House became known as a place of refuge for people evacuating Germany. Because of her help to Jewish families, Singh became known as the “Indian Schindler”. This nickname stemmed from Oskar Schindler, a man who saved hundreds of Jewish people by employing them in his factories.
Catherine Hilda Duleep Singh passed away at Coalhatch house in Buckinghamshire on November 8th, 1942, at age 71. The details of the families she rescued are still being uncovered today by researchers. She lives on as the “Indian Schindler” and is known for overcoming intersectional challenges including being a woman, and being Indian during a period of colonization.
Why Did I Choose to Research Article Name?
I decided to research Catherine Hilda Duleep Singh because I see myself in her. She was an Indian woman who was raised in a predominately white society, similar to me. She also identified as LGBTQ+, and lived in a happy relationship with Lina Schäfer. It is important to have other queer women of color represented in the media. Besides her identity, Singh achieved great things throughout her life and helped numerous people escape danger. She fought for women’s right to vote and saved many Jewish families from Nazi Germany. She is an amazing role model to young girls everywhere!
Works Cited
Bond, K. (2023, February 3). LGBTQ+ History Month: Princess Catherine Hilda Duleep Singh. Retrieved August 21, 2024, from Metro website: https://metro.co.uk/2023/02/03/lgbtq-history-month-princess-catherine-hilda-duleep-singh-18202861
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust | Catherine Duleep Singh. (2024). Retrieved August 13, 2024, from Hmd.org.uk website: https://www.hmd.org.uk/resource/catherine-duleep-singh/
LGBT+ History Month: The story of Princess Catherine Duleep Singh. (2023). Retrieved August 13, 2024, from Bbc.com website: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-suffolk-64669420
This article was published on 10/31/2024