Disowned gay Prince of Rajpipla to adopt a child

Vadodara, Aug 26 (UNI) Two months after the Gohil royal family of Rajpipla disowned its only son and heir, Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, for being a gay, the latter has decided to adopt a child.

The 40-year-old prince, said to be the first member of any royal family in the country to publicly reveal that he is a gay, was stripped of his title and right over the royal properties in Gujarat, Maharashtra and elsewhere in the country in June for making his homosexuality public.

The decision of Manavendra to go for an adopted child came after the royal family recently softened its stand against him expressing its desire to take him back into the family fold.

In an interview to a vernacular daily, Manavendra said since the matter had been sorted out following a dialogue with his parents, he was seriously considering to adopt a child, preferably a teenaged one, who could understand him and take care of the royal family. He also wishes to send the child abroad for higher education.

Manavendra, who had no regrets for being a gay and decided not to stake any claim over the royal property after he was disowned by the family, alleged that his parents were pressurised to act against him.

The gay prince had in fact left the Rajpipla palace four years ago after his wife sought divorce from him. Later, he championed the gay movement in Gujarat through an NGO, Lakshya Trust, of which he is the chairman. Though the royal family knew that its only heir was a gay, the family disowned Manavendra after he made it public in an interview to a vernacular daily.

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