UK museum secures £200,000 grant to commemorate legacy of Last Sikh Ruler
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London: The National Lottery Heritage Fund has granted nearly £200,000 to the Ancient House Museum in Thetford, Norfolk, UK, to commemorate the legacy of Maharajah Duleep Singh, the last ruler of the Sikh empire.
The museum, founded in 1924 by Prince Frederick Duleep Singh, son of Maharajah Duleep Singh, will utilise the grant on its 100th anniversary to narrate the family's story through displays.
Maharajah Duleep Singh, the youngest son of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh empire in 1799, ascended to the throne at the age of five but was deposed after the annexation of Punjab by Britain in 1849. Settling in England at Elveden Hall in Suffolk at the age of 15, Duleep Singh's family remained in the region for a century.
Prince Frederick, Duleep Singh's second son, generously donated Thetford's Ancient House Museum to the town's people.
The £198,059 grant will fund a two-year project to showcase the "fascinating history of the Duleep Singh family," featuring displays encompassing Anglo-Punjab history, a model of Elveden Hall, a portrait of Duleep Singh on loan, and exhibits highlighting the family's contributions to achieving universal suffrage.
The museum will also exhibit family artifacts, including Duleep Singh's walking stick presented by King Edward VII when he was Prince of Wales. Additional funding for the project comes from Thetford Town Council community grant, Friends of Thetford Museum, Norfolk County Council, and Arts Council England.
Margaret Dewsbury, the Conservative cabinet member for communities at Norfolk County Council, expressed gratitude, stating, "Through the foresighted generosity of Prince Frederick Duleep Singh, for the past 100 years Ancient House Museum has served the people of Thetford and beyond, preserving the history of the town and surrounding area."
