Princess Diya Kumari, born into the illustrious royal family of Jaipur, is today a hard-working businesswoman and manager, besides being a devoted mother and generous hostess. In her leading role in the City Palace, she bears with skill and determination, responsibilities that are not the traditional lot for a princess. She has been described by the journalist Nona Walia as ‘a CEO or businesswoman and a hands-on princess who has great energy to get things done’. She was born on 30th January, the only child of H.H. Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh and H.H. Maharani Padmini Devi of Jaipur. In the year of her birth, her father, then a Lt-Col in the Indian army and the commanding officer of 10 Para Commando, served with distinction in the Indo-Pakistan war that led to the formation of Bangladesh. But shortly after that her father suspended his army career to concentrate on the administration of the City Palace and its museum and to promote tourism in Jaipur. So the young Princess Diya grew up seeing how a once opulent palace, a royal abode, could become efficiently managed and given new purposes with the general public in mind. That was the role that she was to inherit in the future. She studied at the Modern School, New Delhi, and at Maharani Gayatri Devi School for Girls in Jaipur, and later did a decorative arts course in London. Princess Diya Kumari is married to Maharaj Narendra Singh and they are blessed with three children. Maharaja Padmanabh was born on 2nd July 1998. He was adopted as heir by his grandfather, H.H. Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh, and succeeded him in April 2011. He has a younger sister Rajkumari Gauravi Kumari, and a brother Raj Kumar Lakshraj Singh. Besides being a doting mother of three children, she has multifarious responsibilities on her shoulders She is Secretary to the Trustees of both the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust (which runs the City Palace) and the Jaigarh Charitable Trust (which runs the fort of Jaigarh). She steers both with vision and determination. The museum especially demands a lot of attention; its continuing success requires planning and imagination. Other family businesses which require Princess’ attention include the ownership and running of hotels including Rajmahal Palace. She manages Durga Diya enterprises, the Palace Cafe, and also looks into the management of the Ashok Club, one of the most exclusive clubs of the country. Her entrepreneurial acumen have made these family enterprises a name to reckon with in the tourism and hospitality sectors. Princess Diya Kumari’s arena of work also encompasses the running of two highly prestigious educational institutes of Jaipur City – The Palace School and The Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh School. The Palace School, under Princess’ aegis, is one of the pioneers in Rajasthan in setting up a successful multi disciplinary set up with professionals like clinical psychologists, special educators, occupational and speech therapists within the school to ensure a healthy, wholesome personality for children of her school. An educationist at heart, she takes personal interest in managing both the institutes as she feels that education plays a vital role in transforming both individual lives and the entire society. Princess has instituted the Young Achiever in Education award in her name to encourage the youth to excel in the field of academics. This award is given during the annual award ceremony organized now in the memory of her father Late Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh of Jaipur. A true philanthropist, Princess Diya Kumari is actively associated with several NGO’s and organizations involved in charity and social works. She is actively involved with the Eye Bank Society of Rajasthan and is also the patron of Rays, an NGO working for HIV+ children. Princess Diya Kumari monitors the working of Sawai Man Singh Prathmik Chikitsalya (supported by the Trust) very closely. In her bid to provide good medical attention to the common man the MSMS Prathmik Chikitsalya distributes free allopathic medicines to the poor and the needy. A connoisseur of art and culture, Princess Diya Kumari takes an active part in promoting traditional arts, music and dance. She is actively, involved in the ‘Friends of Museum’, started by her father Late. His Highness Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh of Jaipur. Her main focus is to promote the dying arts of Jaipur and support craftsmen associated with it. Various fairs and festivals are organized within and outside the city to provide a platform to the craftsmen to demonstrate their skills and sell their products directly to the customer. This has given the much needed impetus to those arts of Jaipur which are on the verge of extinction. Keeping her contribution to the tourism and hospitality sector in mind, Princess Diya Kumari has been nominated as the Chairperson of Tourism and Hospitality with ASSOCHAM. She has an innate aesthetic sense, an eye for detail and a penchant for perfection. Her beauty, poise and calm demeanor have made her an admirable asset to the royal lineage in hosting national and international celebrities and events. Cynosure of all eyes, Princess Diya epitomizes the Indian woman who balances her professional and personal life with perfect aplomb and ease.