The royals of India loved being the centre of attraction, and their portraits spoke of their wealth and slightly-delusional nature. The Guide flips through Portraits in Princely India and finds amusing stories beyond the glare of jewels

It's not just a photograph, especially when you are royalty. Portraits of Indian royals weren't just a display of

Maharaja Yadavendra Singh of Patiala

vanity, says Rosie Llewellyn-Jones, editor of Portraits in Princely India: 1700 to 1947. A portrait set the stage for the ruleru00a0it spoke of his importance, stature and was a reflection of what he wanted the world to admire. The coffee table book covers royal portraiture from the early 18th century to the mid-20th, and tries exploring what rajahs and ranis wanted to say through paintings and photographs.

I want to be like her

The Maharani of Rewa wanted to look like Queen Victoria, reveals English artist EM Merrick. Dressed in a purple velvet dress with a broad lace collar adorned with a large broach, she sat uncomfortably in her tight English costume. The artist describes the awkward moment when the rani commented on the dress being "handsome", and the artist had no choice but to agree.

Much like role-playing, the sitters also often wanted to appear younger, fairer and more richly-jewelled than they actually were. Although Indian princes were increasingly inclined to wear Western-style clothes, on ceremonial occasions they were expected to appear in traditional style. But by the late 19th century, this trend began to change. A formal portrait of Maharaja Mahendra Singh of Patiala reveals, although he was wearing a choga and turban, he effectively modelled his clothes on Western court dresses of the period, right down to his dress pumps.

Dazzling baubles

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