Charismatic Jaipur royal Rajmata Gayatri Devi, a three-time MP and who was once named as 'World's Ten Most Beautiful Women' by 'Vogue' magazine, died here today following a prolonged illness. She was 90.
Gayatri, who became an extremely successful politician, breathed her last at Satokben Durlabh Memorial Hospital where she was readmitted yesterday for chest infection after she was discharged a few days ago.
"She recovered from her gastrointestinal problems but yesterday she was detected with a lung infection. Her condition deteriorated this morning and she breathed her last at around 1600 hrs," said Dr Subhash Kala, who was attending on her.
It was a tragic irony that Gayatri Devi passed away just a day after actress Leela Naidu died in Mumbai also after prolonged illness. The prestigious fashion magazine Vogue had named Gayatri Devi as one of the 10 most beautiful women in the world along with Leela.
Married to late Sawai Man Singh II, Gayatri's son Prince Jagat Singh died in 1997 and she is survived by her two grand children Rajkumari Lalitya Kumari and Dev Raj Singh.
Celebrated for her classical beauty and something of a fashion icon in her adulthood, Gayatri Devi won the Lok Sabha seat thrice in 1962, 1967 and 1971.
She stood as the candidate of Swatantra party founded by India's last Governor General C Rajagopalachari against the Congress nominee, an action which infuriated the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who retaliated in 1971 by abolishing the privy purses, and stopping all royal privileges, breaking the treaties agreed upon in 1947.
Gayatri Devi was accused of breaking tax laws, and served 5 months in Tihar Jail in Delhi during the Emergency. She retired from politics after that experience.
