London:
Abdul Karim was a 24-year-old Indian servant of Queen Victoria, who gained her affection in the final 15 years of her reign. Their relationship sent shock-waves through the royal court, and ended up being one of the most scandalous periods of her 64-year reign.
But, a new archive of letters, pictures and Karim's "lost diary", held secretly by his family for over a century, sheds new light on the controversial relationship between the Queen and the youth from Agra who rose from a royal waiter to becoming her decorated Indian secretary.
In fact, Indian author Shrabani Basu has discovered the documents after penning Victoria & Abdul - her book on the remarkable relationship between the Queen and her servant, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The documents tell the story of how Karim arrived in England in 1887 and quickly gained the affection of a Monarch 42 years his senior.
"I came to England as orderly to the Queen... it is a much higher position than the orderly of the British Army who is simply a private soldier selected to attend an officer as a personal servant carrying his orders etc," Karim writes in his personal diary.
On arriving in London on the recommendation of Dr Tyler who his superior officer at India's Central Jail, Karim notes, he visits the zoo and Madame Tussauds. Yet sightseeing was not Karim's prime purpose; he is there to meet the Queen.
He recounts the first audience: "Dr Tyler and I were instructed to take our station near the dining room and wait Her Majesty's coming. I was somewhat nervous at the approach of the Great Empress who soon entered accompanied by HRH the Duke of Connaught and Princess Beatrice.
Dr Tyler at once did homage by kneeling, whilst I did the same in Oriental style. I presented nazars, or gifts by exposing, in the palms of my hands, a gold mohar (a coin) which Her Majesty touched and remitted as is Indian custom. The Queen was thereafter pleased to speak to Dr Tyler and so ended my interview with the Empress of India."
Two days later, Dr Tyler received a telegram asking him to return to Buckingham Palace with Karim who introduced curry to the royal menu and started teaching the Queen how to speak Urdu, offering lessons every evening.
Yet Karim was dispirited - he was unhappy doing such a menial task as waiting tables and professed his wish to return to his homeland. This is mentioned in his diaries.
The following letter from Queen Victoria that Karim kept in his journal asking him to stay is significant - that letter was one of many destroyed by her son, King Edward, after his mother's death.
Karim, however, had kept a certified copy: "General Dennehy has read me your petition. I shall be very sorry to part with you for I like and respect you, but I hope you will remain till the end of this year or the beginning of the next that I may be able to learn enough Hindustani from you to speak a little."
Subsequently, Victoria made Karim her official munshi (teacher) as well as Indian Clerk to the Queen. This too he notes in his diary: "It was a day I shall never forget and for the same I shall ever thank my God and pray for long life and happiness of Her Majesty."
Henceforth Karim travelled everywhere with the Queen, even on her tours of Europe, meeting numerous monarchs and prime ministers along the way. The Queen allowed him to move his wife over to England, and the couple were given their own cottage on each of her estates in Balmoral in Scotland.
According to his diaries, Karim seems particularly enamoured by Balmoral: "I admired the scenery for it reminded me so forcibly of the Highland scenery of India which is much resorted to by Europeans during the hot season. I was told that Her Majesty is particularly partial to this residence in the Highlands."
Queen Victoria died in 1901, and Abdul Karim was given a prominent place in the funeral possession. Yet days later, guards ordered him to hand over every letter she had written to him. He died eight years after his return, at 46.
But, a new archive of letters, pictures and Karim's "lost diary", held secretly by his family for over a century, sheds new light on the controversial relationship between the Queen and the youth from Agra who rose from a royal waiter to becoming her decorated Indian secretary.
In fact, Indian author Shrabani Basu has discovered the documents after penning Victoria & Abdul - her book on the remarkable relationship between the Queen and her servant, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The documents tell the story of how Karim arrived in England in 1887 and quickly gained the affection of a Monarch 42 years his senior.
"I came to England as orderly to the Queen... it is a much higher position than the orderly of the British Army who is simply a private soldier selected to attend an officer as a personal servant carrying his orders etc," Karim writes in his personal diary.
On arriving in London on the recommendation of Dr Tyler who his superior officer at India's Central Jail, Karim notes, he visits the zoo and Madame Tussauds. Yet sightseeing was not Karim's prime purpose; he is there to meet the Queen.
He recounts the first audience: "Dr Tyler and I were instructed to take our station near the dining room and wait Her Majesty's coming. I was somewhat nervous at the approach of the Great Empress who soon entered accompanied by HRH the Duke of Connaught and Princess Beatrice.
Dr Tyler at once did homage by kneeling, whilst I did the same in Oriental style. I presented nazars, or gifts by exposing, in the palms of my hands, a gold mohar (a coin) which Her Majesty touched and remitted as is Indian custom. The Queen was thereafter pleased to speak to Dr Tyler and so ended my interview with the Empress of India."
Two days later, Dr Tyler received a telegram asking him to return to Buckingham Palace with Karim who introduced curry to the royal menu and started teaching the Queen how to speak Urdu, offering lessons every evening.
Yet Karim was dispirited - he was unhappy doing such a menial task as waiting tables and professed his wish to return to his homeland. This is mentioned in his diaries.
The following letter from Queen Victoria that Karim kept in his journal asking him to stay is significant - that letter was one of many destroyed by her son, King Edward, after his mother's death.
Karim, however, had kept a certified copy: "General Dennehy has read me your petition. I shall be very sorry to part with you for I like and respect you, but I hope you will remain till the end of this year or the beginning of the next that I may be able to learn enough Hindustani from you to speak a little."
Subsequently, Victoria made Karim her official munshi (teacher) as well as Indian Clerk to the Queen. This too he notes in his diary: "It was a day I shall never forget and for the same I shall ever thank my God and pray for long life and happiness of Her Majesty."
Henceforth Karim travelled everywhere with the Queen, even on her tours of Europe, meeting numerous monarchs and prime ministers along the way. The Queen allowed him to move his wife over to England, and the couple were given their own cottage on each of her estates in Balmoral in Scotland.
According to his diaries, Karim seems particularly enamoured by Balmoral: "I admired the scenery for it reminded me so forcibly of the Highland scenery of India which is much resorted to by Europeans during the hot season. I was told that Her Majesty is particularly partial to this residence in the Highlands."
Queen Victoria died in 1901, and Abdul Karim was given a prominent place in the funeral possession. Yet days later, guards ordered him to hand over every letter she had written to him. He died eight years after his return, at 46.
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