Showing posts with label Joan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joan. Show all posts

Tuesday, 9 January 2024

Australian Princess Her Highness Begam Jahana of Palanpur nee Joan Falkiner 1915 - 2003

 We don't often connect Aussies with Royalty - unless they're claiming to be Richard III's 14th generation granddaughter... - but there have been plenty of times Aussie-born ladies have caught the eye and hearts of Royalty.

Today is a quick run-down on Joan Falkiner, whose real life romance with Taley Muhammed Khan, Nawab of Palanpur, out-did any Barbara Cartland novel = 



They met while he was recovering from a polo injury resulting in a real-life elopement to another country against her wealthy parents wishes to a man much older than herself, of a different religion, with a living first wife, a son her same age, scorned by the British (yeah, looking at you, Mountbatten!) denied her rightful title until the last.

Seriously, Netflix, this is oozing more romance than some of your latest offerings...!

Her granddaughter, Aaliya Suntana Babi is a celebrated Paleontologist known as "Dinosaur Princess".

Further reading -

Wikipedia

Aaliya Suntana Babi aka Dinosaur Princess 

Joan in India

Twenty Third day of the month of October throughout the not-so-many eons of Oz history

1786 - Barron Field, who claimed to be the first poet of Australia *ahem* and was for a number of years an actual judge in New South Wales...