Lakshraj Prakash

Lakshraj Prakash was born on 24 March 2004 as the younger child of Narendra Singh and his wife, Diya Kumari.^[1][2] His mother is the only daughter of Bhawani Singh and Padmini Devi.^[1][3] Lakshraj has an elder brother Padmanabh Singh and an elder sister Gauravi Kumari. Lakshraj was educated at private schools, beginning at Mayo College in Ajmer and continuing at Millfield in Street, Somerset.^[2] In 2023 Lakshraj enrolled at the Queen Mary University of London in England.^[2]

Upon the death of Rajendra Prakash on 13 November 1964, the title, rank, and dignity of the Maharaja of Sirmur lapsed, as he left no male heir.^[4] He was married to two consorts: Durga Devi and Indira Devi.^[4] With Durga Devi, he had a daughter, Nalini Devi; with Indira Devi, he had another daughter, Padmini Devi.^[4] Durga Devi adopted her maternal grandson, Udai Singh, as the successor to her late husband.^[4] This adoption, and the succession it implied, was neither recognised by the Government of India nor accepted by the wider royal family or clan.^[2] Approximately forty-nine years after the death of Rajendra Prakash, members of the royal family of Sirmur, along with senior nobles of the former state, assembed in Jaipur on 17 March 2014.^[2] There, they approached Padmini Devi and requested that her maternal grandson, Lakshraj Prakash, be sent to Sirmur to assume the throne, which had remained unoccupied since the death of her father.^[2] With the consent of both Padmini Devi and the parents of Lakshraj Prakash, he was formally inducted into the Atri gotra of the royal house on 13 April 2013.^[2][5] He ascended the throne of Sirmur at the Palace in Nahan following his raj tilak (transl. Coronation) on 15 May 2013.^[2][6] On this occasion, Ajay Bahadur Singh presented him with the sword of Guru Gobind Singh, which had originally been given by the Guru to the ancestors of the royal family.^[6] As was a minor at the time, Ajay Bahadur Singh was appointed regent until he attained the age of majority.^[2] His title holds no official status under Indian law, as the Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of India abolished the formal recognition of royal titles, privileges, and associated entitlements previously granted to the rulers of princely states.^[7]