Jawaharlal Nehru's Forbidden Romance With British Viceroy's Wife: Letters, Photos, An Unspoken Truth

Jawaharlal Nehru is a well-known politician and the first Prime Minister of free India. From politics to literature, his name is remembered with great honour. However, there is a chapter of his life that remains unspoken of. As we all know, Nehru was married to Kamala Nehru, a fearless independence activist, in 1916. However, between that and the fight for independence, it's believed the politician grew close to an Englishwoman.

There are several chapters in Jawaharlal Nehru's life that still remain hidden, unheard of, and tucked away under the dust of time. However, his relationship with the last Viceroy of British India's wife once again created a storm in the political world. Why? Well, some believe it is due to the nature of their relationship, while others deny its existence. Nonetheless, the letters and the pictures have shared a different story over the years. So, without any further ado, let us take a look at the unspoken truth behind Nehru's bond with Edwina Mountbatten.

Jawaharlal Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten grew close as the empire fell

It is believed that the last Viceroy of British India, Lord Louis Mountbatten's wife, Edwina Mountbatten, arrived in India in the hazy summer of March 1947. The subcontinent was on the brink of Partition, and the Viceroy's mission was to ensure a smooth transfer of power amid communal and political chaos. However, even as history shifted course, something more personal and intimate started to brew in the backdrop of India's independence.

It was something far more personal and intimate —a profound bond between India's future Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and the elegant Edwina Mountbatten — that bloomed as history took its course. Often described as introverted and often distant, Edwina rarely spoke to others. Yet, she found in Nehru a confidant and companion. Their closeness sparked fascination and speculation, not just then, but even today, long after India achieved independence.

Jawaharlal Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten's relationship was beyond politics

According to multiple reports, Jawaharlal Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten developed a relationship that went beyond politics. Their interactions continued for years, even after India had attained independence, with Nehru writing letters to her until the end of her life. Lord Mountbatten himself was aware of the friendship. Nehru even visited Edwina in Britain, staying as a guest at the Mountbatten home in Hampshire.

Edwina's daughter, Pamela Hicks, also provided some of the most intimate glimpses into this relationship in her memoir, Daughter of Empire: Life as a Mountbatten. Pamela wrote that her mother and Nehru shared a "profound relationship" that began when the Mountbattens arrived in India in 1947. Pamela shared that Edwina "found in Panditji the companionship and equality of spirit and intellect that she craved." However, she clarified that they never had a physical affair. She was quoted as saying:

"Neither my mother nor Panditji had time to indulge in a physical affair—they were rarely alone, always surrounded by staff and officials."

Jawaharlal Nehru's farewell speech for Edwina Mountbatten

When Edwina Mountbatten prepared to leave India after the power was transferred to the Indian government, she intended to leave behind an emerald ring for Jawaharlal Nehru. Knowing he would never accept such a personal gift, she entrusted it to his daughter, Indira Gandhi. Their connection, however, endured the distance through letters long after she returned to Britain, a written testament to an unspoken truth.

However, the moment was equally sentimental for Nehru, and in his farewell speech to Edwina, quoted in Pamela's book, he revealed the deep respect and affection between them. Nehru's speech was quoted as:

"Wherever you have gone, you have brought solace, you have brought hope and encouragement. Is it surprising, therefore, that the people of India should love you and look up to you as one of themselves and should grieve that you are going?"

Jawaharlal Nehru's secretary on his bond with Edwina Mountbatten

Jawaharlal Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten's bond is further referenced in the diary of Nehru's secretary, K.F. Rustam, which was later published in book form. According to Rustam's account, it hints not only at Nehru's affection for Edwina but also at his friendships with other women, including Padmaja Naidu, the daughter of Sarojini Naidu.

Historian, Alex von Tunzelmann also described an intense moment in Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire, when Padmaja, angered by Nehru's closeness to Edwina, once threw a photo frame at her. However, the two women eventually became good friends, an illustration of the complexity surrounding Nehru's personal relationships.

Why is there still controversy around Jawaharlal Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten's letters?

The letters between Jawaharlal Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten remain inaccessible to the public to this day. They were reportedly placed under the care of the Prime Minister's Memorial Library (PMML) by Indira Gandhi in 1971 "for safekeeping rather than as an outright gift." However, in 2012, historian Kadri's letter to the Gandhi family reignited debate over these private papers. Kadri claimed that Sonia Gandhi had taken 51 cartons of Nehru's papers and urged that the correspondence be returned to the PMML archives for public access.

While the PMML argued that the letters offer "invaluable insights into a critical period of Indian history," others view their publication as an invasion of privacy. The ethical dilemma persists: should private letters between two historical figures —letters of affection, diplomacy, and perhaps longing —be made public for the sake of history? While what Nehru and Edwina remain concealed in those letters, time has again and again tried to revive their bond as intrigue remains alive even after decades of Independence. 

What are your thoughts on Jawaharlal Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten's relationship? Let us know.

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