Written by TKT Volunteer Laura Ali

Catherine was the daughter of the Maharaja Duleep Singh. Her father had lost his power in India during Britain’s colonial rule, and Catherine was born in Thetford, Norfolk. When her mother passed away, Catherine went to live in Kent where she met the German governess Lina Schafer. They fell in love, and in 1908 they moved to Lina’s home in Germany where she lived happily.
Even though she lived abroad, Catherine was an advocate for women being allowed to vote back at home, and was active in campaigning and raising funds for suffrage societies.
When the Nazis took power, Catherine and Lina helped Jewish people gain passage to England, and using her power and connections Catherine helped secure the release of a number of people from concentration camps. Catherine was devastated when Lina passed away in 1938, and was now living in danger due to the aid she had given to Jews. She moved back to England, and made her home a refuge for Jewish families who had managed to escape Germany, alongside evacuees of the Blitz.

Catherine passed away in 1942, and asked for her ashes to be split, some buried in Norfolk, the rest next to Lina’s.

While born into privilege, Catherine stood up to prejudice throughout her life, loving earnestly and using her power to fight for the rights of those who were oppressed. She is a remarkable figure in British-Asian and LGBT history, and as more continues to be discovered about her life we can continue to learn and share her story

Thank you to Laura for this blog post. Want to write on a topic? email kp@thekitetrust.org.uk to submit your work!