Yuvraj (Prince) Shivraj Singh (born 30 September 1975), is the son of erstwhile Maharaja Gaj Singh and erstwhile Maharani Hemlata Rajye, daughter of the late Raja Shivratan Deo Singh of Poonch and H.R.H. Princess Nalini Rajye Lakshmi of Nepal in Dehra Dun. He has a sister who was born on 22 August 1974, Shivranjani Rajye.[1]
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Shivraj was educated at Mayo College in Ajmer, then moving on to Eton College,[2] where he played polo for Eton. After leaving Eton, Shivraj studied at Oxford Brookes University, where he received a degree in Business Administration. After graduating from university, Shivraj worked with the Schroder's Bank of Geneva and London and Jardine in Hong Kong before returning home. He is now involved in the business of managing the palace hotel group which includes Umaid Bhawan, Bal Samand, Sardar Samand, and various festivities and functions involving the Jodhpur Royal Family.
Shivraj is an avid polo player and a known face in Delhi high society, where he stands out for both his royal lineage and striking good looks. He is primarily responsible for training the Jodhpur polo team, whose fortunes revived under his patronage.[3] Shivraj is widely referred to as Indian polo's poster boy.
He suffered a serious head injury during a Birla Cup match at the Rambagh Polo Ground in February 2005. Shivraj slipped into coma and was rushed to the SMS Hospital after he lost consciousness. Shivraj’s horse ran into another player’s horse when they were both chasing the ball. Fellow player Vishal Singh recalled that, "Shivraj and I were chasing the ball when I asked him to turn and clear the way for my shot. But as soon as he turned, his horse ran into rival player Sameer Chaudhary." At this, the polo pony stumbled and fell to the ground, crushing Shivraj beneath it. Doctors attending on Shivraj at the hospital said there was a clot in his brain and he may require surgery. On February 21 Shivraj was taken to Mumbai for treatment at Tata Hospital. He remained in a coma for over two months,[4] although the doctors successfully performed surgery on him. Shivraj survived a similar accident three years prior to this.
Eleven months later, he had recovered enough to speak in short sentences and move about in a wheelchair. His first public appearance since the accident was at his father's 58th birthday party held on the Baradari Lawns on January 13, 2006; however, he watched from his balcony. Shivranjani Raje told reporters he is active and rehabilitating with the help of an American occupational physiotherapist. He can reportedly walk with some assistance.
He got engaged [5] to Gayatri Kumari Pal from the erstwhile royal family of Askot in Uttaranchal on March 10, 2010. The engagement ceremony took place at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, in the presence of Shivraj's father, Gaj Singh II, mother Hemlata Rajye and elder sister Shivranjini Rajye. Gayatri is studying computer graphics and animation. The wedding took place on November 18, 2010 at the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur. The wedding was a grand affair, with lots of media attention.[6]