Meet The Indian Royal Princess Who Was Adopted By Queen Victoria But Never Truly Accepted
This is the story of Princess Victoria Gouramma, the princess of Coorg, who was deposed by the British. Her story is not just a footnote of colonial history. It is a reminder of resilience, heartbreak, and a young girl’s fight for belonging in a world that was never ready to fully accept her.
On a rainy spring morning of 1852, a usual day for Londoners, when they suddenly gathered curiously around the docs as an unusual figure stepped ashore. She was clad in a simple silk robe, a 11-year-old girl, with dusky skin, solemn eyes, steps down as she clutches her father's hand.
She was Princess Gouramma of Coorg. She was a royal from India, which was now annexed under the British rule. Beside her was her father, the deposed King Chikavira Rajendra, who hope for justice from the Queen of England. Little did they know that the little girl, bright and eager, was about to be swept into the heart of British royalty, which would turn into a lifetime of quiet battles against prejudice, loneliness, and betrayal.
In the pages of history as we go along adopting, acknowledging and embracing new curriculum, there are often stories that we continue to ignore. Princess Gouramma's story is also one such forgotten story, however, it continues to hold the haunting mirror which reflects even what royals like Meghan Markle may have faced centuries later. Princess Gouramma's life shows that even when the British monarchy embraced a person of colour, the acceptance was only skin-deep.
A Royal Arrival, A New Identity
After the Coorg War of 1834, King Chikavira Rajendra was exiled from his kingdom and was held as a political prisoner in Benaras. Years later, he travelled to Britain, for a better future. His mission was simple, he wanted to reclaim his ancestral wealth and ensure Gouramma's protection through Christian upbringing.
The British press of the time viewed the arrival as a strange mix of fascination and prejudice. Reports described her as the "fairest of the clock", indeed a backhanded compliment that reflected both exoticisation and underlying racism.
However, her future still seemed promising when Queen Victoria herself took an interest. She adopted her as her granddaughter, and had her baptised in a ceremony. She gave her a new name - Victoria Gouramma of Coorg.
It seemed like a fairy tale. But inside Buckingham Palace, the reality was far from it.
Growing Up As An Outsider
Gouramma was placed under the guardianship of an army couple, Major and Mrs Drummond, who tried to polish her into a model of Victorian propriety. Bright and cheerful, she quickly adapted to London society and became a favourite at court. She was admired for her manners, education, and charm.
Yet, despite her proximity to the royal family, she remained an outsider — tolerated but never truly embraced. Historian Dr Priya Atwal notes that Gouramma, much like Meghan Markle centuries later, faced emotional isolation and cultural dislocation. Her very presence was exoticised, her heritage often erased, and her personal desires largely ignored.
Queen Victoria had her own plans for the young princess: to arrange a "suitable" marriage that would advance Christian influence in India.
Love, Loss, And Everything In Between
The Queen also hoped to pair her goddaughter with another royal "orphan" - Maharaja Duleep Singh, who was the last king of the Sikh Empire. He had also been exiled and converted to Christianity. However, there was no romance between them; they instead developed a strong sibling-like bond.
Gouramma eventually fell in love with an older British army officer, Colonel John Campbell. Against much disapproval, they married — but the union was deeply unhappy. Campbell was more interested in Gouramma’s modest wealth than in her, and the princess soon found herself trapped in a loveless relationship.
At the same time, her health was rapidly deteriorating. She suffered from frequent illnesses, coughing up blood, and visibly grew weaker. Yet her struggles were largely overlooked by those around her, just as her father’s earlier pleas had fallen on deaf ears.
In 1861, she gave birth to a daughter, Edith. But happiness remained elusive. Just two years later, at only 22 years old, Princess Gouramma died of tuberculosis, alone and far from the land she once called home.
Princess Gouramma was buried in Brompton Cemetery in London — her grave, like her story, almost forgotten over the decades. It wasn’t until much later that her descendants were traced, living quietly in Australia. Rare photographs and letters surfaced, offering glimpses into the life of the lost princess who had once captured Queen Victoria’s attention.
Gouramma’s life echoes loudly in the modern era, particularly after Meghan Markle’s revelations about facing racism within the royal family. It forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: that history repeats itself, and that the British monarchy's relationship with people of colour has long been fraught with prejudice, isolation, and broken promises.
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