Meet Victoria Gorama: The Indian princess who grew up in Buckingham Palace and became the first royal to convert to Christianity, with Queen Victoria as her godmother | World News
The British imperial dream had implications far beyond the expansion of the empire. It resulted in many lives being destroyed, kingdoms stolen, and people left homeless and with nowhere to go. Among them was Chikka Veerarajendra, the last Maharaja of Kodagu (Corg) who was deposed by the British on April 24, 1834 AD after losing the Coorg War with the East India Company.On the orders of Army officer James Stuart Fraser, the kingdom was annexed to British India and the king was taken to Benaras as a political prisoner. He lived there for 14 years, and finally in 1852 he traveled to London with his 11-year-old daughter Gouramma to demand that the British government return his ancestral wealth and provide his daughter with a future of freedom and security under Christianity.The then Governor-General, Lord Dalhousie, and the directors of the East India Company allowed the father and daughter to travel to England, making them the first members of the Indian royal family to set foot in the country. The company hopes the princess’s voluntary conversion will improve its flagging image in Britain.
An Anglo-Indian princess
Princess Victoria Goulama was a natural socialite who was reported to be well-loved by the Queen for her elegant manners and cheerful personality.
On 30 June 1852, Gowama was baptized in Queen Victoria’s private chapel at Buckingham Palace, London, in the presence of the Queen, her family, senior government officials and directors of the East India Company. Shortly after her christening, Queen Victoria presented Golwama with an autographed Bible and declared herself the Indian princess’s godmother. She surprised everyone by lending her name “Victoria” to Gaurama. Princess Victoria Golwama of Coorg (later known as Coorg) was the first member of the Indian royal family to convert to Christianity. Queen Victoria wrote in her diary: “He came hither to leave his little daughter to be brought up as a Christian, which was a great step. […] daughter […] She is almost 11 years old, a cute and beautiful little girl. “The young princess came under the care of Major and Lady Drummond, a military couple who educated her and familiarized her with Western ideology. Princess Victoria Goulama was a natural socialite who was reported to be well-loved by the Queen for her elegant manners and cheerful personality.
The marriage of books
She fell in love with a 50-year-old Army colonel, John Campbell.
As CP Belliappa states in his book Victoria Kurama: The Lost Princess of Coorg, Queen Victoria decided to become a matchmaker in order to promote Christianity in India. Here arrived Maharaja Duleep Singh, another of the Queen’s adopted godsons, who was exiled to England at the age of 15 and converted to Christianity in 1853. According to Better India, the palace tried to get the princess and the Maharaja married, but since neither was attracted to the other, they ended up becoming siblings, with the Maharaja calling the princess his “honorary sister.”At this time, the princess became disillusioned with the royal family and fell in love with 50-year-old Army Colonel John Campbell. As she continued to pretend in social situations, the princess’ health secretly deteriorated. She often coughs up blood and is weak.Meanwhile, Campbell’s marriage was falling apart due to her gambling habits and interest in her wealth. In 1861, Princess Gurama became a single mother when she gave birth to a daughter, Edith, while her husband maintained this role only by title.Although Queen Victoria’s adopted godsons were members of the royal family, they lived a life of “outsiders” because of the color of their skin. According to historians, the queen forbade the princess from meeting her father, saying he would “corrupt” her with “native pagan influence.” The princess died of tuberculosis in 1864, a few months before her 23rd birthday, after a life full of turmoil and struggle. Today, her grave stands abandoned in Brompton Cemetery, London. Her great-great-grandson lives in Australia with her family.Princess Victoria Gollama remains forgotten in the history books, but once upon a time, she lived her life strong and brave in the halls of Buckingham Palace.
