A Princess Remembers
An autobiography by- Maharani Gayatri Devi

Our group met on Friday August 29th over a delicious Indian lunch cooked by our hostess to match the theme of the book.
The book itself lent to an animated discussion that went on for over 2 hours and touched on many delicate topics from royalty to politics to religion across the world.

‘A Princess remembers’ is an autobiographical account by the queen of Jaipur, India, Maharani Gayatri Devi who has been named amongst the most beautiful women of the world.

Set in the early 20th century it begins with an account of her luxurious yet carefree childhood spent in the kingdom of Cooch Bihar in the eastern part of India. From tiger hunts on elephant back to lavish parties. As she falls in love with Jai, the king of Jaipur, we witness her opulent yet restrictive new life as his 3rd queen.

The book unfolds to a new political order as India gains its Independence from British rule in 1947. With democracy comes a weakening of royal privileges and clashes between Gayatri devi and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It showcases Gayatri Devi’s entry into politics, her historic landslide victory and subsequent politically manipulated imprisonment.

Our group was divided by those who believed this to be a mere royal memoir and those who felt that despite being a royal memoir it was a reflection of the life of a true woman of substance.

Review thanks to Deepika Gupta