If you’re a woman who honours her hard-won right to vote, you’ll know about Mrs Pankhurst. You may be less familiar with two remarkable women from Thetford who played central roles in the ‘advancement of women’ through women’s suffrage. And you might be surprised to hear both were Indian princesses whose godmother was Queen Victoria. Sophia and Catherine were the daughters of the Maharajah Duleep Singh, last Sikh ruler of the kingdom of Punjab. British colonial rule forced the surrender of his lands and possessions (including the Koh I nor diamond), so he came to Britain, was befriended by Queen Victoria and settled into life at Elveden Hall, near Thetford, where Sophia and Catherine Duleep Singh were born.

Catherine joined the Fawcett Women’s Suffrage Group. Sophia became part of Emmeline Pankhurst’s more militant inner circle, often on the front line of marches and protests like the Black Friday demonstration to Parliament, she funded suffragette groups and refused to pay taxes recounting the slogan ‘No Vote, No Tax’. Sophia went to court several times for non-payment of licence fees covering, amongst other things, keeping dogs, carriages and servants and in lieu of court fines had a diamond ring seized by bailiffs. King George V asked in exasperation, ‘Have we no hold on her?’ Apparently not!

In 1921 Sophie’s brother, Frederick, founded the Ancient House Museum in Thetford town centre. Visit this stunning building to learn more about the bold sisters who fought the establishment for women’s right to vote.