Ella Atherton (11 September 1905 – May 1995) was a Scottish-born actress, fashion model,
horse breeder, and
Socialite, who married an Indian
maharaja
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...
,
Vijayasinhji Chhatrasinhji
Sir Vijaysinhji Chhatrasinhji (30 January 1890 - 29 April 1951) was the last Maharaja of the Rajpipla State, who ruled from 1915 to 1948.Some articles refer to him as Vijayasinhji instead of Vijaysinhji. He was also a successful race horse own ...
in 1940. After marriage, she was also known as Ila Devi Rajpipla; Maharani Ella Devi of Rajpipla or H.H. Maharani Ella Devi Sahiba.
Early life
Atherton was born in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
under the name of Ella Anderson.
Atherton was her chosen stage name and immigration records to the United States and the Far East indicate that her younger sister Effie, who was born as Euphemia Walker Anderson in Edinburgh on 3 July 1907, also took on the Atherton name, becoming
Effie Atherton
Effie Atherton (born Euphemia Walker Anderson; 3 July 1907 – 11 February 2005), was a British
singer, dancer, film actress, and musical comedy performer, known initially for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in ...
.
Career
Atherton was a
silent movie actress, known for her role in
''The First Born'' (1928) as Nina de Lande, with
Madeleine Carroll
Edith Madeleine Carroll (26 February 1906 – 2 October 1987) was an English actress, popular both in Britain and America in the 1930s and 1940s. At the peak of her success in 1938, she was the world's highest-paid actress.
Carroll is rememb ...
,
Miles Mander
Miles Mander (born Lionel Henry Mander; 14 May 1888 – 8 February 1946), was an English character actor of the early Hollywood cinema, also a film director and producer, and a playwright and novelist. He was sometimes credited as Luther Mile ...
and
John Loder; directed by Miles Mander for
Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, north London. Gainsborough Studios was active between 1924 and 1951. The com ...
. The success of this silent film, resulted her being the leading actress in ''Human Cargo'' (1929) as Sylvia Frescar, alongside
David Dunbar. She was also a successful British fashion model.
She soon abandoned her acting career, becoming a socialite, catching the attention of an Indian prince, and accompanying him to public events.
By 1938, as a horse breeder, she was referring to herself as Ella A, of Rajpipla. One of her horses, her namesake competed at the Newbury Races.
This extended courtship with a ruler of a princely state involved pursuing other interests, outside of her former acting and modelling profession. As an unofficial consort, she hosted visiting dignitaries and accompanied the maharaja to events overseas, such as the
1939 New York World's Fair. There were also annual visits to the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
, which extended over 5–6 months. Some respite from her obligations as a host included
tiger hunting, in what is now the
Satpura Tiger Reserve
Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR) also known as Satpura National Park is located in the Hoshangabad District (newly named Narmadapuram ) of Madhya Pradesh in India. Its name is derived from the Satpura range. It covers an area of . Satpura National P ...
.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
she was active in raising funds, and made regular personal donations to the
British War Relief Society
The British War Relief Society (BWRS) was a US-based humanitarian umbrella organisation dealing with the supply of non-military aid such as food, clothes, medical supplies and financial aid to people in Great Britain during the early years of th ...
.
As a widow, for over two decades, she continued her husband’s legacy as a quality breeder of racing horses, in her own name, as Ella Devi of Rajpipla.
Personal
Atherton became a long term companion of Maharana Vijayasinhji Chhatrasinhji Maharaja of
Rajpipla
Rajpipla is a town and a municipality in the Narmada district in the Indian state of Gujarat.
It was the capital of the former Kingdom of Rajpipla.
Geography
Rajpipla is located at . It has an average elevation of 148 metres (485  ...
prior to 1933, and resided at the Indrajit-Padmini Mahal, or Vadia Palace between 1934 and 1939, spending summers with in England. The
Epsom Derby was a key event in her social diary.
Atherton married the Maharaja at a ceremony at the Devchhatra (Devastra) Hill and ancient fort in
Rajpipla
Rajpipla is a town and a municipality in the Narmada district in the Indian state of Gujarat.
It was the capital of the former Kingdom of Rajpipla.
Geography
Rajpipla is located at . It has an average elevation of 148 metres (485  ...
, on 5 January 1940. This area is now incorporated within the
Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary
Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in India's Gujarat state, located in the western Satpura Range south of the Narmada River and is large. It shares a common boundary with Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. It encompasses mi ...
. She was his third wife and took the Hindu name of Maharini Ella Devi Sahiba; however was also referred to as Ella Devi Rajpipla or Maharani Ella Devi.
Atherton was considered at the time of their marriage to be one of the most beautiful women in the British Isles.
Her husband, when they met in the early 1930s had long been an accomplished
polo player; owner of the
Rajpipla Polo Team, a wealthy and influential Anglophile, and the only maharaja to meet President
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...
during his term in office.
He had invested heavily in various infrastructure projects in India and received a knighthood from King
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
in the
1925 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 1925 were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by members of the British Empire. They were published on 30 December 1924.
The recipients of honours are displayed here ...
; Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI). His support for the war effort was commended. This was followed by a GBE (Knight Grand Cross) on 1 January 1945. On an international level, he was a socialite, a successful race horse owner, and winner of the first
Indian Derby then known as the Country Bred Derby with Tipster, the
Irish Derby
The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance ...
in 1926 with Embargo; and the
Epsom Derby with
Windsor Lad
Windsor Lad (1931–1943) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. As a three-year-old in 1934, he won both The Derby and the St Leger in record time. In 1935, he won the Coronation Cup and the Eclipse Stakes before his caree ...
in 1934. Atherton referred to him as ‘Pip’, a name coined by
Martin H. Benson. In 1940 her son “Pippy”, Prince Rajsingh was born. A term of endearment was inherited. When not entertaining high society friends, such as the
Aga Khan III
Sultan Muhammad Shah (2 November 187711 July 1957), commonly known by his religious title Aga Khan III, was the 48th Imam of the Nizariyya. He played an important role in British Indian politics.
Born to Aga Khan II in Karachi, Aga Khan II ...
and British aristocracy at their home in
Old Windsor
Old Windsor is a large village and civil parish, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It is bounded by the River Thames to the east and the Windsor Great Park to the west.
Etymology
The name originates from ol ...
,
Berkshire; a 27-roomed Victorian mansion located on Church Road, they were both active within the UK
social season
The social season, or season, refers to the traditional annual period in the spring and summer when it is customary for members of the social elite of British society to hold balls, dinner parties and charity events. Until the First World War, ...
from April to August each year.
In the advent of Indian Independence, her husband ceased to be the ruler of the ancient
Princely state of Rajpipla until Indian statehood in 1948. Although they visited India frequently, and titles were retained, the UK became their primary residence.
Prior to Indian Independence, it had been necessary for Atherton to prove her marital status to the British authorities. These records dating from 1945 to 1946 are held by the UK National Archives.
After
Indian independence, Maharani Ella Devi, continued to mix within European high society circles, attending events with her husband, including the Epsom races. She was a regular at the summer circuit of charity events and gala evenings in the South of France; seen here attending a gala evening at a casino in
Deauville
Deauville () is a commune in the Calvados department, Normandy, northwestern France. Major attractions include its harbour, race course, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino, and sumptuous hotels. The first Deauville Asian Film F ...
, France. They also travelled to the United States.
Her daughter, Princess Premila of Rajpipla was born in 1949, and was educated at Heathfield School, Ascot, and later became a fashion model, a businesswoman and a socialite.
Her husband died suddenly on 29 April 1951, at their home in Old Windsor.
Her son went on to be educated at Westminster School and pursued a career in journalism. He was introduced to the turf by his father at a very young age, and subsequently inherited a passion for horse racing.
As a widow, she still had the choice of being called Her Highness or Lady Rajpipla.
In later years, she continued to entertain, eventually retreating from society, dying at the age of 89, in
Surrey during May 1995.
References
Further reading
* Ewan, E., Innes, S., Reynolds, S., & Pipes, R. (Eds.). (2007). The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women: From the Earliest Times to 2004. Edinburgh University Press.
External links
A 1930 photograph of Ella Atherton at
Getty Images.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atherton, Ella
1905 births
1995 deaths
20th-century Scottish actresses
Actresses from Edinburgh
Scottish silent film actresses
People from Old Windsor
British racehorse owners and breeders
Queens consort of India