TNR News Network
SHIMLA:
In a landmark moment that blends royal legacy with modern choices, Himachal Pradesh minister and scion of the Rampur-Bushahr royal family, Vikramaditya Singh, tied the knot with Amreen Kaur Sekhon, marking probably the first time in the princely state’s history that a Sikh woman becomes the ‘Rani’.
The traditional Anand Karaj ceremony was solemnised at Gurdwara Sahib in Sector 11, Chandigarh, where Vikramaditya, son of late Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and royal patriarch Virbhadra Singh and current Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh, exchanged vows with Dr Amreen, daughter of Sardar Jotinder Singh Sekhon and Sardarni Opinder Kaur of Chandigarh.
Royal alliance rooted in academia, friendship
Dr Amreen Kaur Sekhon is an accomplished academic, holding dual Master’s degrees in English and Psychology, along with a PhD in Psychology. She currently serves as Assistant Professor at Panjab University. Close friends of the couple say that Amreen and Vikramaditya shared a long-standing friendship before tying the knot.
This is Vikramaditya’s second marriage, following a previous alliance with Sudarshana Singh of Rajasthan in 2019, which ended in a divorce. For Dr Amreen, this is her first marriage.
Pattern of Sikh alliances in the royal household
Interestingly, this is not the first time the Rampur-Bushahr royal household has formed ties with a Sikh family. Vikramaditya’s sister Aparajita Singh also married into Punjab’s erstwhile Patiala royal family, becoming the wife of Angad Singh, grandson of Captain Amarinder Singh, former Punjab CM and titular Maharaja of Patiala.
Their engagement and wedding, which took place in New Delhi a few years ago, were attended by the country’s political and royal elite, including Virbhadra Singh and Amarinder Singh, both Congress stalwarts and long-time allies, representing two of North India’s most powerful royal-political legacies.
Royals converge for new-age marriages
The trend of cross-cultural royal alliances reflects a shift in modern-day royal households, blending tradition with personal choice. Nirvan Singh, another grandson of Captain Amarinder Singh, had married Mriganka Singh, granddaughter of senior Congress leader Karan Singh, linking the royal legacies of Patiala, Jammu & Kashmir, and Gwalior.
Vikramaditya Singh, a two-time MLA from Shimla Rural, currently serves as Himachal Pradesh’s Cabinet Minister for Public Works and Urban Development. He is seen as a key face of the Congress’ younger generation in the hill state. Educated at Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, and Hansraj College, Delhi University, he later pursued a Master’s in History.
Marriage traditions in Rampur-Bushahr royal family
Historical records do not indicate any prior instance of a Sikh woman marrying into the royal family of Rampur-Bushahr, probably making the union of Amreen Kaur with Vikramaditya Singh a notable first in the princely state’s lineage, says a history analyst in Shimla.
He says traditionally, as a Hindu Rajput princely state, Rampur-Bushahr maintained matrimonial alliances primarily within other Rajput royal families. “These alliances were often forged to consolidate political ties and preserve dynastic purity. Royal households from neighbouring hill states such as Sirmaur, Kumarsain and Dhami were common partners in these strategic marriages,” he says.
While interfaith and inter-community marriages did occur across Indian royal lineages, they were relatively rare at the uppermost levels of power, particularly in earlier historical periods, where social and political considerations heavily influenced marital decisions, says another analyst. He calls the marriage of Vikramaditya Singh to a Sikh bride a progressive departure from tradition, symbolising the evolving nature of royal alliances in the modern era.
“With this historic wedding, Amreen Kaur becomes the first Sikh woman to be formally associated with the Rampur-Bushahr royal household, symbolising not just a personal milestone, but a cultural evolution in one of North India’s most prominent former princely states,” says a local resident of Rampur.
