Royal lineage? Check. Sartorial elegance? Check. Plays A Gentleman’s sport? Check. Follows The Code of chivalry? Check.
A professional polo player, a jet-setter and a royal style icon – the Prince of Jaipur sure does know how to make fairy tales look real. HH Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh is the 303rd descendant of Jaipur’s royal family and from the looks of it, he knows to keep his royal stature incredibly genteel. Having said that, we’re more interested in his over-the-top life.
Known as Pacho among his peers, he has seen more of the world than most dream to in a lifetime. While his classic style and high-class lifestyle says a lot, it has definitely caught our attention. His Instagram feed is filled with images of the gentleman’s way of life. From being the youngest Indian member of the Indian Polo team, walking Dolce & Gabbana runways as if he owns it, to maintaining a wardrobe filled with timeless styles, Pacho has set high standards everywhere he goes.
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.
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 the rapid social change.”
Fashion seems to be another of Singh’s passions. In June 2018, he walked the runway at a Dolce & Gabanna show in Milan, Italy.
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.
In 2017, Singh escorted Ava Phillippe, the daughter of actors Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, to the Bal des Débutantes in Paris.
He’s also confessed to having a soft spot for Italy after spending some time there to study art in a private university. “With all its old buildings and grand architecture, it always feels like home” he once commented.
But Singh is not content to live out his 20s as a bon vivant. He told the Week magazine. He plans to draw tourism to his hometown.
“We are in a democracy now, and I cannot let my background go to my head,” he said. “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.”
