Royal Recall

The focus will be on the erstwhile princely states of Patiala,Jind,Nabha,Malerkotla and Kapurthala. “It will be about kings of the past and their royal women. I am getting images of the princesses in all their finery, who were often a part of the London social circle. They led interesting lives—one princess,for example,worked with the BBC,” he says,adding,“The present-day Maharajas are just bearers of titles and it is their ancient heritage that is engrossing. I want to present the fancy lives,houses,clothes and jewellery used by members of the royal families.”

Bance relies on primary sources of information and does not believe in a mythical portraiture of royalty. “Why should they be portrayed as superhumans?” he asks. He insists that he is not going to shy away from depicting controversies,though he will avoid issues that are political.

For his last book,Bance had spent 13 years researching Duleep Singh and his descendants,uncovering material from Britain and Europe and collecting memorabilia. In the process,he dispelled misconceptions about the scion of 19th century Punjab. More than 250 rare photographs were part of its rich illustrations,and the book proved to be very popular in both India and the United Kingdom.

Bance believes the coffee table format is the ideal format as they are easier to read and engage the attention of younger readers. “That was the feedback I got after the publication of the book onMaharajah Duleep Singh. Few people want to read too much text and so I focus a lot on imagery,” he says.