Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, the Radical South Asian Suffragette

One of the key players of the British Suffrage Movement, Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, is still largely ignored in our historical consciousness. Her contributions and her impact on the Suffrage Movement is often overlooked in favor of continued dominant white narratives. Sophia’s celebrity status as Princess of the British Punjab region and goddaughter of Queen Victoria, turned her into an invaluable asset to Emmeline Pankhurst and her group, the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). Already a media darling prior to her involvement with the movement, Sophia’s celebrity status was used as a tool to garner more press for the often mocked and ridiculed cause for women’s votes. This poster focuses on the press attention Sophia gained for the British Suffrage Movement and her pivotal role as celebrity ally to Emmeline Pankhurst’s inner circle of suffragettes. Princess Sophia Duleep Singh’s active contribution to the campaign for women’s votes is analyzed through the use of her image. Importantly, it is duly highlighted that the face of the British Suffrage Movement, was at one point in history, a radical brown woman empowered to fight for the enfranchisement of women around the world.