Okay we know you went off into the Malliswari feels after seeing the headline. But we are talking the real deal here. The Rani of Mirzapuram, after her marriage with the Maharaja of Pithapuram, had a daughter and her name was Sita Devi. So what, you ask?? She was amazing! If you wanted to find out how a princess is meant to live, she is basically the handbook for it. Read on, you will not be disappointed!
Sita Devi was a Telugu- born royal from the Pithapuram of the then Madras Constituency. A princess; and she lived up to the title.
She was married to Apparao Bahadur, Zamindar of Vuyyur, but that marriage did not last long.
Her second marriage though was a love story out of fairy tales. The Maharaja of Baroda met her at the horse races in Madras and fell hopelessly in love with this glamorous, bold and ravishing divorcee.
Much to his mother’s displeasure, (mostly because she was a divorcee and also because she opposed bigamy) he married Sita Devi making her Maharani of Baroda. She wasn’t by law called “Her Highness” because well, he had his first wife.
He set the best of his legacy, his riches at her feet. No, seriously! He gifted her renowned Baroda pearl carpets! Not just that she owned the famous Baroda Pearls, seven lines of necklace made of natural pearls (pretty sure you noticed it in the previous picture). But look! A carpet made of pearls!
She was known for living in immense luxury and that she loved showing off her jewels. She was always in the limelight not only for her lavish manner but also for her then rebellious and bold way of smoking cigars in public. Not something you saw of an Indian Maharani in those days.
Oh, speaking of living lavishly her cigarette holder was studded in rubies.
After the dissolution of the princely states, she did not give up her royal lifestyle leaving her to sell most of her jewelry. And sell she did, but knew how to still carry an attitude.
She once sold off her diamond and emerald studded anklets, which eventually became a necklace for the Duchess of Windsor. The Duchess won praises for her necklace at a ball which even Sita Devi attended. Unable to take it, she remarked that the necklace had looked nice on her feet too!
The insult led the Duchess to return the necklace. This is that necklace.
Sita Devi led her later years In Europe with her son from the King of Baroda, Princie, the apple of her eye. She passed away in Paris, but not before she saw the world famous pink diamond be named after her son.
Her life took me into a daze for sure! Despite the hard times, she never once let down her royal air. She was Queen from within and made sure that was how she lived and died.
She was married to Apparao Bahadur, Zamindar of Vuyyur, but that marriage did not last long.
Her second marriage though was a love story out of fairy tales. The Maharaja of Baroda met her at the horse races in Madras and fell hopelessly in love with this glamorous, bold and ravishing divorcee.
Much to his mother’s displeasure, (mostly because she was a divorcee and also because she opposed bigamy) he married Sita Devi making her Maharani of Baroda. She wasn’t by law called “Her Highness” because well, he had his first wife.
He set the best of his legacy, his riches at her feet. No, seriously! He gifted her renowned Baroda pearl carpets! Not just that she owned the famous Baroda Pearls, seven lines of necklace made of natural pearls (pretty sure you noticed it in the previous picture). But look! A carpet made of pearls!
She was known for living in immense luxury and that she loved showing off her jewels. She was always in the limelight not only for her lavish manner but also for her then rebellious and bold way of smoking cigars in public. Not something you saw of an Indian Maharani in those days.
Oh, speaking of living lavishly her cigarette holder was studded in rubies.
After the dissolution of the princely states, she did not give up her royal lifestyle leaving her to sell most of her jewelry. And sell she did, but knew how to still carry an attitude.
She once sold off her diamond and emerald studded anklets, which eventually became a necklace for the Duchess of Windsor. The Duchess won praises for her necklace at a ball which even Sita Devi attended. Unable to take it, she remarked that the necklace had looked nice on her feet too!
The insult led the Duchess to return the necklace. This is that necklace.
Sita Devi led her later years In Europe with her son from the King of Baroda, Princie, the apple of her eye. She passed away in Paris, but not before she saw the world famous pink diamond be named after her son.
Her life took me into a daze for sure! Despite the hard times, she never once let down her royal air. She was Queen from within and made sure that was how she lived and died.
