They don’t make nobility like the Rajmata (Queen Mother) of Jaipur anymore. This famous lady shot a panther at 12, married a maharajah (her beloved “Jai” – Man Singh, the ruler of Jaipur) some years later and led a charmed life marked by social seasons in London and Paris and polo matches elsewhere.
Not content just to be a pretty face (Vogue once named her one of the world’s most beautiful women), she ran and won by outstanding majority a seat in the Indian parliament. Despite leading a quieter life these days, Rajmata remains a feisty personality as Margie T Logarta discovered in this mini audience with Her Royal Highness.
So there’s going to be a movie made about your life.
Is there one? I hadn’t heard.
Wouldn’t you like one?
No! (laughs)
Do you do much travelling these days?
I go to England where I have a small flat and I have lots of friends (editor’s note: count the UK’s royal family among them.)
Are you fussy about service? On planes, in restaurants?
I’m like everyone else, I want to get to my destination as quickly as possible and as comfortably as possible. But let me tell you, I hate planes – you can never sleep on them.
Are you the type that travels light or heavy?
I don’t have a laptop; I don’t have a mobile phone. I just bring my luggage.
What keeps you busy these days?
I have three schools for underprivileged and handicapped children and young girls, which I raise funds for. I raise polo ponies too – every evening I visit the horses.
Your husband was an avid polo player and loved animals.
He rode beautifully. Yes, he loved animals – birds, dogs and squirrels would come to him.
How do you think Jaipur is developing?
Jaipur has always had a distinct style of architecture. Now there are all these high-rise buildings that are ruining it. I don’t know who allows such things to happen.
How do you feel about palaces in India being turned into hotels?
It was my husband and his eldest son’s idea to convert our Rambargh Palace (now managed by the Taj Group) into a hotel. I didn’t really agree with it, but he felt it was too big for us, and we had other homes anyway.
Then, how do you feel about royalty as a tourism attraction?
I definitely wouldn’t have tea with strangers. I like to keep my life private.
