The Duleep Singh sisters’ lost story reaches its darkest chapter
This preview suggests a final-series episode focused on Princesses Pauline and Irene Duleep Singh, two overlooked figures in the family saga. Based on the show notes, William and Anita examine royal rejection, a contested inheritance, and one sister’s still-murky fate.
*This is a preview based on the published show notes, not a recap of the audio.* If you’ve been following this series on the Duleep Singh family, this episode looks like it closes on a particularly bleak and intriguing note. According to the notes, William and Anita turn to Princesses Pauline and Irene Duleep Singh, described here as “forgotten” sisters whose lives have been overshadowed in the broader family story. The episode appears to center on several strong historical questions: why Queen Victoria shunned them, why Irene left her fortune to Dr Barnado’s, and how that decision triggered a bitter legal dispute. The notes also point to one of the episode’s biggest hooks: the long-standing mystery around Paulina’s fate, which historians have apparently struggled to resolve for decades. For listeners, this sounds like a good pick if you’re interested in the afterlives of empire, royal relationships, family fracture, and the way some historical figures slip out of public memory. The framing suggests less of a triumphant finale and more of a reckoning with neglect, exclusion, and unresolved history. If you’re new to the series, the episode may still appeal on the strength of its central mysteries alone. If you’ve heard the earlier installments, this looks positioned as the emotional and historical end point of the Duleep Singh saga.
About this episode
Who were Princesses Irene and Pauline, the forgotten Duleep Singh sisters? Why did Queen Victoria shun them? Why did Irene choose to leave her fortune to Dr Barnado's, sparking a vicious legal battle? And why has the fate of Paulina remained a mystery to historians for decades? In the final episode of this series, William and Anita explore the darkest chapter of the Duleep Singh family saga: the forgotten lives of Princesses Pauline and Irene Duleep Singh. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Imogen Marriott Editor: Bruno Di Castri Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices