Meet the 20-year-old 'king' of Jaipur, India, a polo star who spends his multimillion-dollar fortune traveling the world and studying in NYC and Rome
Padmanabh Singh is the 20-year-old king of Jaipur, India. His full title is Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur.
Singh, whose family and friends call him "Pacho," is the 303rd descendant of the royal family of Jaipur.
Source: Elle India
He became king in 2011 after the death of his grandfather, Sawai Man Singhji Bahadur, who was called "the last Maharaja of Jaipur" when he died because he ascended to the throne soon before royal privileges stopped being recognized in India.
Source: The Guardian, Getty Images
Singh's title is not officially recognized by law, as India is a federal parliamentary democratic republic with a president and a prime minister. But according to The Guardian, the title "still inspires respect in this deeply hierarchical country where the aristocracy is venerated despite rapid social change."
Source: The Guardian
Jaipur is the capital of the Rajasthan state in northwestern India, known for its pink architecture and royal palaces.
Source: Britannica
The royal family lives in the City Palace, which was founded in 1727 and spans a series of courtyards.
Source: Royal Jaipur
The school is nicknamed "India's Eton" after the prestigious English school. "My boarding school shaped me the way I am," Singh told the Week magazine. "It was a tough life with strict discipline and no luxuries."
Source: The Week
Singh celebrated his 18th birthday on July 12, 2016 at the City Palace in Jaipur.
Source: Vogue India
The young royal spent the day visiting several temples and carrying out traditional rituals and ceremonies.
Source: Vogue India
A pink and gold silk umbrella was carried over his head as he walked into a court of former nobles.
Source: Vogue India
Singh's mother is Princess Diya Kumari, a politician and member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly ...
Source: Times of India
... and his father is Narendra Singh. Singh became king after his grandfather because his mother was his grandfather's only child and his father, Narendra, was a "commoner."
Source: The Hindu
Singh spends his time studying, playing polo, traveling, and attending charity and fashion events.
The young monarch made Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia list for 2018 for his "prowess on the polo field," as he served as captain of the first Indian polo team in England in 20 years.
Source: Forbes
Forbes noted that Singh was the youngest winner of the Indian Open Polo Cup and the youngest member ever of a World Cup polo team.
Source: Forbes
Fashion seems to be another of Singh's passions. In June 2018, he walked the runway at a Dolce & Gabanna show in Milan, Italy.
He was also photographed in Milan with Claire Deroo, who he has called one of his best friends.
Source: Economic Times
According to GQ India, Singh "always been an icon to fans and followers, with his understated yet classic style."
Source: GQ India
Photos posted to his Instagram account often showcase his sartorial selections.
"I don't like to fiddle around too much with my style, and try to be as elegant as possible," Singh once told the Week magazine.
Source: The Week
In 2017, Singh escorted Ava Phillippe, the daughter of actors Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, to the charitable Bal des Débutantes in Paris.
Source: Vogue
They danced to a song from the movie "La La Land."
Singh is an avid traveler and often documents his voyages on Instagram. His trips have included South Africa ...
Source: The Week
... Italy ...
... Spain ...
... Thailand ...
... the Rosario Islands in Colombia ...
... Machu Picchu in Peru ...
... and Portugal, to name a few.
He said living in New York made him discover Netflix and sushi. "Cooped up in my apartment with a bunch of friends, I watched Game of Thrones all winter," he told the Week. "I realized sushi was so cool!"
Source: The Week
Singh does not appear to have graduated from NYU, but he moved to Rome, Italy, in September 2018 to study art at a private university. "I lost my heart to Italy; it is the most beautiful country in the world," he told the Week magazine. "With its old buildings and grand architecture, it always feels like home."
Source: The Week
While in Jaipur, Singh splits his time living with his family at the City Palace and staying at Suján Rajmahal Palace, a former royal guesthouse that was recently renovated.
Singh has his own lavish private apartments in the palace called Ram Niwas, where his grandfather used to stay.
The apartment includes a bedroom with en suite bathroom, a dressing room, a private dining room and kitchen, a private veranda, and a heated pool.
Source: Sujan
Singh celebrated the Holi festival at the City Palace in Jaipur on March 1, 2018.
Holi is a Hindu festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Today, people often celebrate by lighting bonfires the night before and then throwing colored powder on each other throughout the next day.
Source: CNN
While the origin of the royal family's wealth is unclear, Singh is likely worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The Jaipur royal family is known to control "immense wealth," but estimates of their actual fortune vary, from $621.8 million in 2011, which would be worth about $696.7 million today ...
Source: Sunday Guardian, Exchange Rates, The Guardian
... all the way up to 20,000 rupees crores. One crore is equal to 10 million rupees, or about $142,531. So if Singh is worth 20,000 rupees crores, as one Indian newspaper estimates, that would equal about $2.8 billion.
Source: The Free Press Journal, Exchange Rates
In addition to their City Palace residence, the royal family of Jaipur also owns the Jaigarh fort, part of the Amber Palace ...
Source: Royal Jaipur
... and Jaipur House, a luxurious summer retreat in Mount Abu, more than 300 miles from Jaipur, that's now run as a hotel.
Source: Royal Jaipur, Google Maps
Singh has big plans as the Maharaja of Jaipur. "We are in a democracy now, and I cannot let my background go to my head," he told the Week magazine. He added that he could never be content "to just live in this bubble and not travel the world."
Source: The Week
He said he considers it his duty to act as an ambassador throughout India and the world. "At the moment, I am focusing on my life, but I want to create Jaipur as a destination, host a lot of people and popularize Rajasthan's art and culture," Singh said.
Source: The Week
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