The Queen of England who fell in Love with a Muslim

[A_I]

Previously undiscovered diaries have been found by an author based in the UK which show the intense relationship between Queen Victoria and the Indian man employed to be her servant & then later promoted to be her teacher.


It tells the story of the queen's close relationship with a tall and handsome Indian Muslim called Abdul Karim.

The diaries add weight to suggestions that the queen was arguably far closer to Mr Karim than she was to John Brown - the Scottish servant who befriended her after the death of her beloved husband Prince Albert in 1861.Mr Karim was just 24 when he arrived in England from Agra to wait at table during Queen Victoria's golden jubilee in 1887 - four years after Mr Brown's death. He was given to her as a "gift from India".


Within a year, the young Muslim was established as a powerful figure in court, becoming the queen's teacher - or munshi - and instructing her in Urdu and Indian affairs.
Mr Karim was to have a profound influence on Queen Victoria's life - like Mr Brown becoming one of her closest confidants - but unlike him, was promoted well beyond servant status.

"In letters to him over the years between his arrival in the UK and her death in 1901, the queen signed letters to him as 'your loving mother' and 'your closest friend'," author Shrabani Basu told the BBC. "On some occasions, she even signed off her letters with a flurry of kisses - a highly unusual thing to do at that time. This was Taboo, how does the queen of England form a close relationship with a non-white brown skinned Indian servant?

"When Prince Albert died, Victoria famously said that he was her husband, close friend, father and mother," Ms Basu said. "I think it's likely that Abdul Karim fulfilled a similar role."


"The royal household absolutely abhorred Abdul Karim." - All the Wealthy White aristocracy thought he did an evil spell on her. They thought he was a Muslim spy trying to get secret documents and tell it to the ottoman Turks.

During his service with the queen, Mr Karim was bestowed with many honours as the royal party travelled around Europe meeting monarchs and prime ministers.
He taught her how to write in Urdu and Hindi, introduced her to curry - which became a daily item on the royal menu - and eventually became her highly decorated secretary.

He and his wife were given residences on all of the main royal estates in the UK and land in India. He was allowed to carry a sword and wear his medals in court - and was permitted to bring family members from India to England.

"Mr Karim's father even got away with being the first person to smoke a hookah [water-pipe] in Windsor Castle, despite the queen's aversion to smoking," Ms Basu said.


"At a time when the British empire was at its height, a young Muslim occupied a central position of influence over its sovereign," – this was shocking to many Brits who viewed Muslims as enemies."It was a relationship that sent shockwaves through the royal court and was arguably a relationship far more scandalous than ever heard of before”


Such was the level of ill-feeling he generated that barely a few hours after the queen's funeral, her family sacked Abdul Karim and deported him immediately never to return to the UK.

In addition, they ordered that all records of their relationship - kept at Mr Karim's homes in India and the UK – was destroyed.

[SiennaEarth]

She loved him as a son not in an intimate way. I've watched the documentary. She always ended her letters with "Your loving mother" She saw him as one of her children and grew fund of his company. What do you expect queen or not she was an old lonely lady who her children left and he was a young man working for her and had nothing so she took care of him and treated him like a son. He took full advantage of her mental state and kindness though, but can you blame him? He came from a poor family and ended up one of the wealthiest men in India.

[Basra-]

Nope. I don't think so. I am an authority when it comes to UK royals. In 1887 Q. Vic was 68---virtually a grand mother of the 24 yo Pakistani servant. Also, the Scottish horseman servant did not have a relationship with her-- it was all in the media hype. Q .V was a weird lonely woman who did not get over her husbands death, but ironically she was good for her country.

[zulaika]

Nope. I don't think so. I am an authority when it comes to UK royals. In 1887 Q. Vic was 68---virtually a grand mother of the 24 yo Pakistani servant. Also, the Scottish horseman servant did not have a relationship with her-- it was all in the media hype. Q .V was a weird lonely woman who did not get over her husbands death, but ironically she was good for her country.

In your authority I hope it is false as well...for the poor fella's sake...it is indeed a torture for any man to court or bed such a woman...hence the death of her husband, his ailment was her very sight....me thinks

[Xiis1928]

After Queen Victoria died her son King Edward VII destroyed the poor Abdul Karim. He burnt all the corresponding letters between Queen Victoria and her young lover. The King sent his late mother's lover packing back to the Raj (British India). You have to remember that Queen Victoria was only in her early 40s when she became a widow. She used this poor kid as her boy toy 20 plus years after the death of her late husband Prince Albert.

[Advo]

After finishing the third season of downton abbey, I can pretty much imagine the setting and language of that time and since it was the age of transition, anything is possible although I doubt it was sexual. The king died in 1861 which makes her really old when she met the young Pakistani.

[Basra-]

Zuli----U crack me up. I grant u that Q. V was an ugly thang-- but she was a queen, and respect to her Highness must be due.


U should peruse all the aristocracy letters I have read about her, they all backbite her behind her back. A most recurrent critic was-- she is 'a perfect ugly thing'! Leave it to the British to give u a praise and a great dig' in the mix. They give credit to her dignity and good sense, but honestly speak the truth about her physical appearance. I blame her dad-- the brother of King George the V. HE was a bald, ugly thang who married a fat Belgium/German Duchesses. Her genes were not exactly lottery material-- her dad short, very bald, and fat. Her mom-short and very fat. However, her piercing grabbing eyes were a consolation price.


PS: Xiis and Advo---please refer to my comments above. U don't have to repeat what I said.

[SiennaEarth]

After Queen Victoria died her son King Edward VII destroyed the poor Abdul Karim. He burnt all the corresponding letters between Queen Victoria and her young lover. The King sent his late mother's lover packing back to the Raj (British India). You have to remember that Queen Victoria was only in her early 40s when she became a widow. She used this poor kid as her boy toy 20 plus years after the death of her late husband Prince Albert.

He was her servant for only 14 years, where did you get 20? and she wasn't "in love" with him.

Advo He wasn't "Pakistani" he was Indian

[Advo]

All Pakistanis were indians at one point.