Maharaja Yadavindra Singh

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Sir Yadvinder Singh Mahendra Bahadur, the elder son of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, was the successor of his father as the maharaja of the princely state of Patiala. Born on 17th of January 1913 at Patiala in Punjab, and attended Aitchison College, Lahore. He remained the maharaja of the Patiala state from 23rd of March 1938 to 1974. Like his father, he had a great love for sports and games. He was a great cricketer who played for India in one Test in 1934.

Yadvinder Singh served in the Patiala State Police and ascended to the post of Inspector General. He also served in several other countries like Italy, Malaya and Burma during the Second World War.

He also served as President of the British Indian Olympic Committee (BIOC) from 1938 to 1947 and as President of the Indian Olympic Committee from 1947 to 1960. He also played a key role in organizing the Asian Games in the country. He also served as the president of BCCI. In addition, he was a renowned horiculturist and served as Chairman of Indian Horticulture Development Council.

He founded Yadavindra Public School, a premier public school.Lal Bagh Palace, the building in which Yadavindra Public School is housed was donated by Sir Yadavindra Singh.

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh was married to two women – firstly to Maharani Hem Prabha Devi of Saraikela and secondly to Maharani Mohinder Kaur in 1938.

He had succeeded his father as the Maharaja of Patiala, but he agreed to the incorporation of his princely state into Independent India on 5th of May 1948. He remained Rajpramukh of the new Indian state of Patiala & East Punjab States Union until the state was fully merged with Punjab in the year 1956.

He continued to serve the country from 1956 onwards as a politician and diplomat. He served as Indian delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1956 to 1957 and to UNESCO in 1958. He also headed the Indian delegation to the FAO many times between 1959 and 1969. He served as Indian Ambassador to Italy between 1965 and 1966 and as Indian Ambassador to the Netherlands from 1971 to 1974. It was in the Netherlands, where he breathed his last. He died suddenly on 17th of June 1974 in his office at The Hague from heart failure, at the age of 61.

Honors

• King George V Silver Jubilee Medal in the year 1935
• King George VI Coronation Medal in the year 1937
• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in the year 1942
• 1939-1945 Star in the year 1945
• Burma Star in the year 1945
• Africa Star in the year 1945
• Italy Star in the year 1945
• British War Medal in the year 1945
• India Service Medal in the year 1945
• Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE) in the year 1946
• Indian Independence Medal in the year 1947
• Grand Cross of the Romanian order
• Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy in the year 1966
• Six other foreign tributes