Diya Kumari

Diya Kumari, Rajasthan's Deputy Chief Minister, is an Indian princess, politician, socialite, and philanthropist. She comes from a notable family, being the granddaughter of the last ruling Maharaja of Jaipur, Man Singh II. People often refer to her as the Princess of Jaipur.

Born on January 30, 1971, in Delhi, Diya Kumari is the daughter of Bhawani Singh, a respected officer in the Indian Army and a hotel owner, and Padmini Devi, who was also of royal descent as the Princess of Sirmur, a princely state in Himachal Pradesh during British rule.

Despite her royal background, Diya Kumari had a humble upbringing. Her father's job in the army meant they lived in Delhi, where she grew up alongside other army kids, unaware of her own royal status.

In 1989, when Diya Kumari was just 18, she met Narendra Singh. This encounter happened when Rajiv Gandhi requested Diya's father, Bhawani Singh, to contest Lok Sabha elections from Jaipur. At the time, Narendra Singh's father, Thakur Budh Singh, who was from Madhopur, assisted Bhawani Singh in his political campaign. Meanwhile, Narendra Singh, who was training to become a chartered accountant, worked in the accounts department at the Sawai Man Singh Museum Trust for three months. During this period, Diya and Narendra grew closer.

When Diya's parents discovered her feelings for Narendra, they were upset because he wasn't of noble birth and belonged to the same Rajawat gotra as Diya. Fearing societal backlash, the couple ended their relationship. However, they couldn't stay apart and reconciled after six months. In 1994, they secretly married through an Arya Samaj wedding ritual and later registered their marriage in court. Diya kept their marriage hidden from her parents for two years, revealing it to her mother in November 1996 and to her father in January 1997. Bhawani Singh eventually solemnized their marriage without much celebration at his Maharani Bagh house in Delhi. The couple then began living in the city palace.

Their marriage faced opposition from the Rajput community due to Diya and Narendra belonging to the same Rajawat gotra. Despite sharing the same title, Diya clarified that they were not closely related over generations.

Their marriage caused outrage within the Rajput community, leading to death threats and harassment. Even a Rajput leader with the same name as Diya's husband threatened them and barged into her father's office. This leader demanded that Diya's mother adopt Islam for the wedding. Additionally, there were threats of kidnapping and demands that the couple remain childless. But the couple was blessed with three children.

Narendra's involvement in the affairs of the city palace led to conflicts with senior staff members, resulting in a strain in their relationship. This led to Narendra temporarily moving out. Despite living separately for more than two years, they eventually reconciled for the sake of their children, with Narendra returning to live in the palace.

After 21 years of marriage, Diya Kumari and Narendra Singh filed for divorce under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act in December 2018, citing mutual consent.


Following Bhawani Singh's passing in 2011, Diya Kumari took on the responsibility of overseeing the affairs of the royal family, stepping in for her young son. Embracing her role as a matriarch, Diya Kumari defied societal expectations and charted her own path.

However, her journey didn't stop there. Driven by her unyielding spirit and commitment to social causes, Diya Kumari founded the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation (PDKF). She serves as the Secretary and trustee of the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust and the Jaigarh Fort Charitable Trust. Additionally, she manages three hotels—Rajmahal Palace in Jaipur, Hotel Lal Mahal Palace in Jaipur, and Hotel Jaipur House in Mount Abu. She also oversees various ventures including Durga Diya Enterprises, the Baradari restaurant, museum shops at the City Palace, and the Ashok Club, an exclusive sports and recreational club.

As an ardent supporter of education, she operates two renowned schools in Jaipur: The Palace School and the Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh School. Furthermore, Diya Kumari is a patron of the heritage platform Royal Fables, which showcases art, design, and fashion from Indian royal families. Under her guidance, Royal Fables presents the Palace Atelier Collection developed by Diya Kumari herself.

On September 10, 2013, Diya Kumari became a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She ran as a BJP candidate in the 2013 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election from Sawai Madhopur and won, becoming a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).

In 2019, she reached another milestone by winning a seat in the Lok Sabha from Rajsamand. However, she resigned from her position as a Member of Parliament after being elected as an MLA in 2023, ultimately becoming the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan.

Since her appointment, she has been actively involved in state governance, including budget discussions, infrastructure planning, and civic oversight in her constituency.

As of 2026, Diya Kumari remains a deputy chief minister and MLA, engaged in legislative participation and administrative leadership in Rajasthan.