Princess Usha Raje Holkar with her paternal grandmother, Maasaheb Maharani Chandravatibai Holkar

Life is a rocket that only moves ahead towards a platform named future. It never rewinds or goes back….time and tide waits for none. The 4-year-old tot Usha Raje was growing up.  How was her life now, in mid August, 1937, fresh from the death of her mother in Switzerland? Difficult to tell, as a 4-year-old tot does not understand what is extremely grim or happy. Of course, nobody can replace the cuddles and snuggles of a biological mother, but life goes on….someone arrives to replace, to foster the future. In such a situation, someone silently and steadily entered her life.

 

Princess Usha Raje as a child with her parents, Maharaja and Maharani of Indore and paternal grandmom, Maharani Chandravatibai Holkar in USA, 1936. A moment which never returned in her life due to untimely death of her mother.

 

Margaret Lawler

Margaret Lawler Branyen was born in Fargo, North Dakota in U.S.A. She was married to John Paul Branyen in Minneapolis, shortly after she completed her nursing training whom she divorced 4 years later in 1938. Margaret was present in the life of Usha Raje at that tender moment when she lost her mother in 1937. Margaret had joined the staff of Princess Usha Raje as a nurse cum nanny from her days when she was working in a Los Angeles hospital in 1936. In that hospital, Yeshwantrao was admitted for some illness and Margaret attended him as his nurse which became her link to join Maharaja’s staff. Note here that there is a contradictory report of when Margaret Lawler entered Yeshwantrao’s life. Some reports states that after the death of Maharani Sanyogitaraje, Yeshwantrao fell ill with severe Bronchitis in Los Angeles where he was visiting and was admitted in a hospital. The widowed Maharaja was in mourning, received sympathy for Margaret who was working as a nurse there.

 

Maharaja of Indore Yeshwantrao Holkar with Margaret Lawler in 1939 covered by international press.

 

Now that Sanyogitaraje was just a beautiful but also a sad memory, the young and dashing 29 years old Yeshwantrao was feeling, shocked, in grief, and above all extremely lonely, and absolutely directionless, without any clue, what his future holds or where is he heading for. At the same time, he was worried for his only child, his daughter Usha Raje. Here, there was a conflict within Yeshwantrao, of that of a responsible father, and the needs of a man, who was facing an emotional vacuum in real life and searching for someone who could bring back his earlier life, his happiness.

 

Daddy's little girl. Princess Usha with her father, Maharaja of Indore, 1937.

 

Yeshwantrao in such stage of fragile instability, was unable to concentrate on his duties as a RULER. He used to say that his mind needs to stable if he wants to focus on his RAJDHARMA, and work as an able administrator for the people of Indore. During this transitional period, somehow Margaret Lawler entered the life of Yeshwantrao in whom he saw a future, for him, Usha Raje and a stable mind.

 

Camaraderie between Margaret Lawler and Princess Usha during international travels, 1940.

 

It was natural that as the backdrop was quite vulnerable, Yeshwantrao didn’t realized that Margaret was actually a rebound in grief. Attraction was natural and both Yeshwantrao and Margaret decided to get married. Margaret was not an evil human being, as per the records of American press in the late 1930’s and 40’s. Margaret and Yeshwantrao got married on 19.9.1938 in Taxco, Mexico. As a step mother, Margaret was absolutely opposite to the popular notion. The general impression was that she seduced Yeshwantrao and married him for his stature, glamor and money but nope, she married him on human emotions. Margaret proved this years later, when her marriage to Yeshwantrao got divorced in 1943.

 

Princess Usha traveling alone in 1941.

 

The years that marched from 1938 to 1943 were the years like building bricks in the life of Usha Raje. Not much is known about the stress and tension between Margaret Lawler and Yeshwantrao, but there was certainly an intense degree of stress brewing between the two. Most probably, Maharaja of Indore realized that Margaret Lawler was a mistake which he shouldn’t had done. But that we might never ever get to know. But Margaret was a good mother. The international and Indian press of the time, had captured Margaret Lawler and the kiddo Princess Usha Raje often traveling together, globally, continuing their journey as beloved pair of mother and daughter. In these six years post death of Sanyogitraje, another lady also silently played her role from the background, like a pillar of strength, and she was mother of Yeshwantrao, Masaheb Maharani Chandravatibai Holkar. Both the paternal grandmother and stepmother helped Usha Raje in developing her formative years for an optimistic future. The photos strewn over the international press of the era states that Usha Raje was a happy child and was at ease with Margaret. Usha Raje was certainly a globetrotter.

 

Santa Ana, California

Yeshwantrao, started rebuilding his life, now from United States of America. He decided that his only child, Princess Usha Raje should receive an American upbringing but with global outlook. Yeshwantrao Holkar built a fortress like house in Laguna Beach area in California in 1938, keeping in mind the impending WWII and the safety and security of his only daughter. As the entire Holkar family had the first-hand taste of American culture within their family, from the generation of Maharaja Tukojirao Holkar, it was quite expected that United States will be their 2^nd home.

 

Princess Usha Raje attending a birthday party in Santa Ana, California, 1940.

 

This palatial house for his only daughter Princess Usha Raje Holkar in 1938 in Orange county in Santa Ana, California in USA was constructed at a cost of USD 50000. The Santa Ana Register noted, “A man’s home is his castle, and the castle being built for the world’s richest man, the Maharajah of Indore, in Santa Ana is not only a castle; it is literally a fortress. It will guard that which is dearer to him than all of his income-it will guard the safety and continued well-being of his daughter, Princess Usha.” The ultra-modern mansion was 3 storeyed, with the finest collection of art and technology, was designed by Donald Beach Kirby of Balboa Islands and Alison Honer. It had 25 bedrooms, 4 fire places, a pool, spacious lawns. Interior design was done by Robert Hiden. Currently restoration work was done by Bowers Museum and Orange County chapter of ISID. Later this house was received by Yeshwant Rao Holkar's 2nd wife, Margaret Branyan as a part of divorce settlement which she later sold off. By late 1930's, Maharaja of Indore was the only Maharaja in entire USA to maintain a home there. Maharaja Yeshwantrao Holkar led an opulent life there, maintaining a fleet of uber luxury cars which were priced at USD$ 10000 at that time.

 

 

 

Santa Ana fortress, the abode Maharaja Yeshwantrao Holkar built to protect his daughter Usha from the preys of WWII.

 

The brewed-up tension converted into divorce in no time in 1943. Both Margaret and Yeshwantrao charged each other extreme cruelty in their divorce filings. They got divorced in mid-July, 1943 in a court in Reno, Nevada, U.S.A. where Yeshwantrao was posted for some time. Margaret Lawler was the 2^nd American Maharani in the Holkar family. She received the custody of 9-year-old Princess Usha Raje, whom she also adopted legally, and the entire Santa Ana palatial home as her divorce alimony. In Santa Ana, Usha Raje was studying at Hoover Elementary School.

 

Maharaja of Indore Yeshwantrao Holkar with his 3rd wife, Euphemia Holkar and son Prince Richard Holkar on the lap., 1946.

Euphemia Crane

Now there was some drama on the day of divorce of Maharaja Yeshwantrao Holkar with Margaret Lawler. The day 6^th July, 1943, saw 2 divorces and a marriage. After receiving the divorce from Lawler, Yeshwantrao went on to marry on the same day for the 3^rd time at the age of 34, another American divorcee Euphemia Crane Watt. The 29 year old brunette Euphemia, also received her divorce from her 1^st husband Frank Arthur Crane, an American aviation company executive based in India, on the very same day, with whom she shared a daughter. Euphemia went on to become the 3^rd American Maharani in the Holkar dynasty.

 

International News of divorce of Maharaja Yeshwantrao Holkar who also remarried on the same day agter 5 years.

 

Back to India

Though Margaret Lawler loved her step daughter Usha Raje and was very fond of her, she couldn’t justify her love for her daughter and the rights of adoption she received. Margaret Lowler Holkar joined the women wing of American Navy known as WAVES during World War II in 1943, after her divorce with the Maharaja. This compelled Usha Raje to return back to India at the age of 10 and settle down at Indore again. From this point, her grandmother, Maharani Chandravatibai Holkar became her rock well into her teenage years. Margaret Lawler went on to marry again for the 3^rd time, a fisherman cum mail carrier, a 27 years old man named Charles Masters of Laguna Beach, California, with whom her marriage existed just for 5 months. They later got divorced. And Margaret Lawler sold off the Santa Ana home too.

 

Not much is known about the relationship between Princess Usha Raje and her new step mother Maharani Euphemia Holkar. The very next year, in 1944, Euphemia Holkar gave birth to a son, Prince Shivajirao Holkar, popularly known as Prince Richard Holkar. Princess Usha Raje was growing up now to be fine young educated refined woman. Though the eternal powerful snatched Usha Raje of her mother during infancy, but she was never short of motherly love. Three years later, in 1947, India became independent and erstwhile princely state of Indore also merged with Indian Dominion. This merger brought a dramatic change in Princess Usha raje’s life which we will cover in our next story of the series.

 

International press coverage about the 3rd wedding of Maharaja of Indore, Yeshwantrao Holkar.