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39-475: The necklace had five chains ( ladi ) and included a neck collar. It contained 2,930 diamonds, including as its centrepiece the world's seventh-largest diamond at the time, the "De Beers". That diamond had a 428 carat pre-cut weigh, and it weighed 234.65 carats in its final setting. It is the largest cushion-cut yellow diamond and the 2nd largest yellow faceted diamond in the world. The necklace also contained seven other large diamonds ranging from 18 to 73 carats, and

78-695: A cricket player. Singh's reign as Maharaja of the princely state of Patiala , in British India , lasted from 1900 to 1938. He was born in a Sidhu royal Jat Sikh family. During his reign, Singh was most noted for his extravagance, contributions to sports , and for being an ally to the British Raj . He was also a member of the Phulkian dynasty . Bhupinder Singh was born on 12 October 1891 in Moti Bagh Palace , Patiala . Singh

117-465: A country which I love, and which has been very full of interest to me". In 1905, following the resignation of Lord Curzon of Kedleston, Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto, was appointed Viceroy and Governor-General of India. He served in this role until 1910, following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, the first Lord Minto. During his tenure, Lord Minto faced significant political challenges and introduced notable reforms. One of

156-665: A number of Burmese rubies. In 1925, the necklace was commissioned by Bhupinder Singh of Patiala , who was the Maharaja of the princely state of Patiala . Around 1948 it disappeared from the Royal Treasury of Patiala. It was last pictured in a 1946 photograph which depicted Yadavindra Singh wearing the necklace. In 1982, at the Sotheby's Patiala Royal Family auction in Geneva , the "De Beers" diamond reappeared. There,

195-564: A unique monorail system built in Patiala, known as Patiala State Monorail Trainways . Singh founded the State Bank of Patiala in 1917. Although Patiala was a 17-gun salute state , Singh himself received a personal 19-gun salute. Singh was a member of Freemasonry and in 1916, he consecrated a Masonic lodge in Patiala. He represented India at the League of Nations , was Chancellor of

234-591: The 1886 general election , where he stood as the Conservative candidate for Hexham . He then applied himself with great enthusiasm to promoting a volunteer army in Britain. In 1888 he was promoted colonel on assuming command of the South of Scotland Brigade. He resigned his commission in 1889. He succeeded to his father's earldom in 1891, becoming The Earl of Minto . Macdonald's prediction came true when Minto

273-607: The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, where the recreated necklace was displayed. In 2022, Cartier loaned the recreated necklace to YouTuber Emma Chamberlain . Chamberlain, who is a Cartier brand ambassador, received some online criticism for wearing the necklace at the Met Gala . Bhupinder Singh of Patiala Sir Bhupinder Singh (12 October 1891 – 23 March 1938) was the Maharaja of Patiala and

312-671: The Bridge River Country , established 1936, was named in honour of the Earl. Also named for the Earl was Mount Minto in the Atlin District of far northern British Columbia , the town of Minto, Ontario . In addition, Minto, New Brunswick was renamed in memory of him. The Earl of Minto and Lady Minto appeared on the obverse of the Canadian four-dollar bill in the 1900 and 1902 versions of this denomination. Indirectly,

351-777: The Canadian Pacific Railway , to the government at Westminster , via the Secretary of State for the Colonies , for a knighthood, as recognition for his service to the Duke and Duchess of York. Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier , to whom Shaughnessy was no friend, opposed the idea; but, Minto made the recommendation anyway, invoking the ire of Laurier and prompting the Prime Minister to draft a policy dictating that all Canadian nominees for honours must be approved by

390-654: The Cape in 1881, and was with the army occupying Egypt in 1882, thus furthering his military career and his experience of colonial administration. He was promoted Major in 1882. He was military secretary to the Marquess of Lansdowne during his governor-generalship of Canada from 1883 to 1885, and lived in Canada with his wife, Mary Caroline Grey, sister of Lord Grey , Governor General from 1904 to 1911, whom he had married in Britain on 28 July 1883. On this first Canadian visit, he

429-615: The Chamber of Princes for 10 years between 1926 and 1938, and was a representative at the Round Table Conference . During his tenure as Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes, Singh fought for the rights of princely states in various jurisdictional and administrative matters. However, his proposals were rejected by the British Raj and even the larger 21-gun-salute states did not join him in his efforts. Singh served on

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468-790: The General Staff in France, Belgium, Italy and Palestine in the First World War as an honorary lieutenant-colonel , and was promoted honorary major general in 1918 and honorary lieutenant-general in 1931. During the First World War, Singh also served on the Imperial War Cabinet in 1918 and on the Imperial War Conference . He was awarded 43 medals during the First World War. Most of

507-791: The North-West Rebellion . He rode throughout western Canada with the North-West Mounted Police , and enjoyed the Quebec countryside on horseback. Lord Minto 's convictions about the importance of preserving Canadian heritage led to the creation of the National Archives of Canada . Lord and Lady Minto were sports enthusiasts and the Minto Skating Club , which they founded in 1903, has produced many famous ice skaters . They both excelled at

546-605: The United States were strained as border and fishing disputes continued to create problems between the two countries. In September 1901, after Queen Victoria 's death in January, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later to become King George V and Queen Mary ) visited Canada, and travelled with Lady Minto to western Canada and the Klondike . Following the tour, Minto recommended Thomas Shaughnessy , President of

585-601: The attack. For his lifetime of service, Lord Minto was made a Knight Companion of the Garter. He was succeeded by Lord Hardinge of Penshurst in 1910. The Morley-Minto Reforms laid the groundwork for future constitutional developments in India, representing a step towards greater Indian participation in governance, although they were also criticized for being too limited. He married, on 28 July 1883, Lady Mary Caroline Grey , daughter of Charles Grey and Caroline Eliza Farquhar. She

624-464: The best in India. Singh is largely noted and remembered for his extravagance. During his life, Singh developed a reputation for being a generous host, throwing lavish parties, and entertaining doctors, artists and people of repute from around the world. He was noted for collecting various items, including cars, jewels, medals, paintings, watches, wines, and spending sprees in Europe. In 1925, he made

663-544: The bidding went up to $ 3.16 million, but it is unclear whether it met its reserve price. In 1998, part of the necklace was found at a second-hand jewellery shop in London by Eric Nussbaum, a Cartier associate. The remaining large jewels were missing, including the Burmese rubies and the 18 to 73 carat diamonds that were mounted on a pendant. Cartier purchased the incomplete necklace and, after four years, restored it to resemble

702-735: The buildings of the Chail Military School , in Himachal Pradesh, were donated by Singh to the Government of India . Singh was noted both as a sportsman and a patron of sports. He was captain of the Indian cricket team that visited England in 1911, and played in 27 first-class cricket matches between 1915 and 1937. For the season of 1926/27, he played as member of the Marylebone Cricket Club . He

741-438: The conservation of natural resources and promoted the creation of national parks. In education and health, Lord Minto encouraged a forward-looking approach. He believed that Canada's progress depended on the cultivation of patriotism and unity, and this conviction was reflected in his desire to see a wider history curriculum developed in Canadian schools. In response to the health crisis posed by tuberculosis , he helped establish

780-492: The death of his father, Maharaja Rajinder Singh , on 9 November 1900. Rajinder Singh had died due to alcoholism; Singh's mother, Jasmer Kaur, had died some years before 1900 due to tuberculosis . A Council of Regency ruled in his name until he took partial powers shortly before his 18th birthday on 1 October 1909, and was invested with full powers by the Viceroy of India , the 4th Earl of Minto , on 3 November 1910. Singh

819-509: The first anti-tuberculosis foundation in Canada. Lord Minto also took great interest in the development of the Canadian military and emphasized the need for training and professional development. He was appointed honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Governor General's Foot Guards Regiment on 1 December 1898 and was subsequently appointed Honorary Colonel, a tradition that has continued with the post of Governors General to this day. He

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858-605: The largest ever single order to Cartier to date for jewelry worth ₹ 1,000 million (equivalent to ₹ 210 billion, US$ 2.6 billion or €2.6 billion in 2023). One of his wives, Maharani Bakhtawar Kaur, presented Queen Mary of the United Kingdom with a necklace on behalf of the Ladies of India during the Delhi Durbar of 1911 . He was also known for an exceptional collection of medals , believed to be

897-601: The most significant reforms during his tenure was the Indian Councils Act of 1909, commonly known as the Morley-Minto Reforms. These reforms were a collaborative effort between John Morley, the Secretary of State for India, and Lord Minto. The reforms aimed to introduce a limited form of self-governance by expanding the legislative councils and allowing for greater Indian representation. This move

936-466: The original. They replaced the lost diamonds with cubic zirconia and synthetic diamonds , and mounted a replica of the original "De Beers" diamond. The necklace is the subject of a documentary by Doc & Film International. A granddaughter of Bhupinder Singh of Patiala is now a jeweller in California. In 2012, she was involved in the exhibit "Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts" at

975-478: The prime minister before the list was sent to London. On 6 December 1901, Lord Minto held a skating party on the Ottawa River , when Andrew George Blair 's daughter Bessie, and potential rescuer Henry Albert Harper both drowned. Lord Minto, like his predecessors, travelled throughout the young country—he crossed Quebec , Ontario and western Canada, visiting former battlegrounds where he had served during

1014-567: The sport and hosted many lively skating parties during their time at Rideau Hall . In the summer, the Minto family loved to bicycle and play lacrosse . In 1901, Lord Minto donated the Minto Cup and appointed trustees to oversee its annual awarding to the champion senior men's lacrosse team of Canada (since 1937 the Cup has been awarded to the junior men's champions). He loved the outdoors, championed

1053-520: The town of Minto, North Dakota in the United States is named for Minto, Ontario, whence its settlers came. Minto Park in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India, commemorates him. The school from which Aligarh Muslim University evolved was named behind him as Minto Circle after his generous funding for the construction of the new school buildings. Minto Road , an area where most of the ministers of Bangladesh government have their official residence,

1092-1307: The world's largest at the time. Singh also owned a fleet of 44 Rolls-Royce cars. Singh was the first Indian to own a private plane and built an airstrip in Patiala . Singh married ten times and had numerous consorts. From those unions, he sired 88 children, of which 52 survived to adulthood. Singh's health began deteriorating, and he died on 23 March 1938 due to ill health. Singh's wives and concubines included: Singh's children included: Through his children, Singh has many notable descendants, including: (ribbon bar, as it would look today) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto , KG , GCSI , GCMG , GCIE , PC ( / k ɪ ˈ n ɪ n m ə n d / ; 9 July 1845 – 1 March 1914), known as Viscount Melgund by courtesy from 1859 to 1891,

1131-488: Was a British peer and politician who served as Governor General of Canada from 1898 to 1904, and Viceroy of India from 1905 to 1910. Minto was born in London , the son of William Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 3rd Earl of Minto , and Emma, daughter of General Sir Thomas Hislop, 1st Baronet . After the death of his grandfather in 1859 he became known by the courtesy title of Viscount Melgund . After completing his education at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge , he

1170-630: Was a response to the growing Indian nationalist movement and demands for political participation. John Morley famously argued that “Reforms may not save the Raj, but if they don’t, nothing else will.” In response, Minto expressed his belief in the resilience of British rule, stating, “The Raj will not disappear in India as long as the British race remains what it is, because we shall fight for the Raj as hard as we have ever fought, if it comes to fighting, and we shall win as we have always won.” Lord Minto’s tenure

1209-473: Was also marked by significant political unrest and the rise of revolutionary activities. The Partition of Bengal in 1905, which divided the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas, was a particularly controversial decision. This move led to widespread protests and was eventually reversed in 1911. Additionally, on November 15, 1909, two bombs were hurled at Lord Minto and his wife near Raipur Gate of Ahmedabad, although they were not harmed in

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1248-522: Was appointed a Privy Counsellor on 11 August 1902, following an announcement of the King's intention to make this appointment in the 1902 Coronation Honours list published in June. On his trip back to Britain in 1904, having finished his term as Canada's Governor General, Lord Minto wrote in his journal "... so our life in Canada is over and it has been a great wrench parting from so many friends and leaving

1287-518: Was born into the Jat Sikh Phulkian dynasty . He was educated at Aitchison College in Lahore . Singh was sent to the princely state of Dholpur , supposedly because of threats to his life due to intrigues in the Patiala court. He returned to Patiala in the beginning of 1900, only months before his father's death. At the age of 9, Singh succeeded as Maharaja of Patiala State upon

1326-802: Was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Scots Guards in 1867, but left in 1870. He joined the 1st Roxburghshire Mounted Rifle Volunteer Corps as a captain in 1872. In 1874, in the capacity of a newspaper correspondent, he witnessed the operations of the Carlists in Spain; he took service with the Turkish army in the war with Russia in 1877 and served under Lord Roberts in the second Afghan War (1878–1879), having narrowly escaped accompanying Sir Louis Cavagnari on his fatal mission to Kabul. He acted as private secretary to Lord Roberts during his mission to

1365-479: Was named Governor General of Canada in the summer of 1898, having campaigned for the post after he learned of the retirement of Lord Aberdeen. Sir Wilfrid Laurier wrote that Lord Minto "took his duties to heart" and a review of his life reveals an energetic man who welcomed many challenges and responsibilities. Lord Minto's term of office was marked by a period of strong nationalism which saw economic growth coupled with massive immigration to Canada. Relations with

1404-711: Was selected as the captain of India on its first Test tour of England in 1932, but dropped out for reasons of health two weeks before departure and Natwarsinhji Bhavsinhji , the Maharaja of Porbandar , took over. Singh was a co-founder of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the national sports administration body for cricket in India , and the donated the Ranji Trophy in honour of Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji , Jam Sahib of Nawanagar . Singh's cricket and polo teams, Patiala XI and Patiala Tigers, were among

1443-651: Was the sister of Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey , Sybil Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans, Louisa McDonnell, Countess of Antrim and Lady Victoria Dawnay. They had five children: The Earl of Minto's popularity in Canada outlived him. In addition to a Minto Place in Rockcliffe, Ottawa and Minto Street in Vancouver and the SS Minto , a famous steamer on the Arrow Lakes , the gold-mining company town of Minto City in

1482-769: Was very active in raising a Canadian volunteer force to serve with the British Army in the Sudan Campaign of 1884. He served as Chief of Staff to General Middleton in the Riel Rebellion of 1885. When he was offered command of the North-West Mounted Police , he decided instead to pursue a political career in Britain. On his departure home to Britain, Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald apparently said to him, "I shall not live to see it, but some day Canada will welcome you back as Governor General". His political aspirations were checked with his defeat in

1521-675: Was well known for the construction of buildings with bold architectural designs in Patiala, including the Shri Kali Devi Temple . Other buildings he constructed include Chail View Palace in the summer retreat of Kandaghat , Chail Palace and Oak Over and Cedar Lodge in Shimla , which are now the residence of the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and the Punjab State Guest House, respectively. He had

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