A royal romance that captured headlines a century ago

A little-known royal romance that made headlines more than 100 years ago is being retold as part of Diwali celebrations later this month.

Princess Sudhira of Cooch Behar, in present-day West Bengal, fell in love with Alan Mander after the pair met in a London nursing home in the early 1900s.

Their story, which included family opposition, an extended voyage intended to keep them apart and a suitor who reportedly followed his future bride around the world, forms part of celebrations at the National Trust's Wightwick Manor and Gardens in Wolverhampton, from 24 October until 8 November.

Known as the Festival of Lights, Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, as well as some Buddhists around the world.

Sudhira, known to friends as "Baby", was one of the daughters of Maharajah Nripendra Narayan and Maharani Suniti Devi of Cooch Behar.

Her family had close ties to Britain and the royal family, often travelling to England.

Her romance with Alan Mander began after she became ill and was cared for at a London nursing home.

Mander, one of the youngest sons of Theodore and Flora Mander, who built Wightwick Manor, visited with his sister-in-law and a friendship soon developed into a relationship.

The match was not immediately welcomed by all members of the princess's family. According to the National Trust, Maharani Suniti Devi arranged an extended cruise in an attempt to separate the couple, but Mander "simply followed them around the world".

The strategy failed and the pair married in February 1914 at Woodlands, a palace in Kolkata, that belonged to Sudhira's father.

Their wedding was not the first link between the two families.

Two years earlier, Alan's brother Lionel Mander had married Sudhira's sister, Princess Pretiva Devi Narayan, at the same palace.

The sisters were part of one of India's best-known royal families.

Their father attended Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee and the coronation of King Edward VII, while one of their brothers was a godson of Queen Victoria.

The marriages also united two families known for progressive views.

Maharani Suniti Devi campaigned for women's education and founded a girls' school, while Sudhira later supported better relations between Britain and India and advocated for women's voting rights.

The Mander family were long-standing supporters of women's suffrage and social reform, with members of the family campaigning for improved rights and opportunities for women.

Only months after her marriage, Sudhira's life took another dramatic turn when World War One began.

Alan was sent to Flanders, while she trained as a nurse and worked as a Voluntary Aid Detachment member at Westminster Hospital.

The couple later had three children.

Visitors to Wightwick's Diwali celebrations will be able to learn more about the royal sisters and their connection to the house through displays, live music and a new installation inspired by Indian textiles and the site's history.

The five-day festival symbolises the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.

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