Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim
Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Manky. Listener Discretion advised one quick
Speaker 1: bit of housekeeping before we get started. First, thank you
Speaker 1: for listening. This is Danishwartz. Obviously, if you want to
Speaker 1: support the show, we have a Patreon, Patreon dot com
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Speaker 1: it is just it's a wild ride. And also maybe
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Speaker 1: novel's Anatomy A Love Story and Immortality A Love Story
Speaker 1: just came out in paperback. So if you've been looking
Speaker 1: for an excuse to read books about nineteenth century Edinburgh,
Speaker 1: in the bathtub or on the go, this is your moment.
Speaker 1: When asked to think of a famous love story, most
Speaker 1: people would probably volunteer Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's most famous couple,
Speaker 1: kept apart by warring families.
Speaker 2: It's become the default image of love. There have been
Speaker 2: so many adaptations of that story, and it just demonstrates
Speaker 2: how enduring that narrative is. What is perhaps most compelling
Speaker 2: about their love, though, is the tragic ending. The teenager's
Speaker 2: love can never spoil because it can never fully play
Speaker 2: out well. Romeo and Juliet, our fictional veroneesay nobility Luckily
Speaker 2: for us and this podcast. Tragedy and compelling love stories
Speaker 2: abound in history. Take for example, Napoleon and Josephine, whom
Speaker 2: we've covered before on this show. Napoleon became infatuated with
Speaker 2: Josephine in the late seventeen nineties, and despite Josephine being
Speaker 2: an older, widowed mother, they married. And while their marriage
Speaker 2: was a passionate relationship, both full of love and sometimes contempt,
Speaker 2: what ultimately ended their marriage was politics. Josephine's inability to
Speaker 2: give Napoleon the air he desperately needed. Even after their annulment,
Speaker 2: they stayed close and they were rumored to still be
Speaker 2: deeply in love, although they were never to be reunited.
Speaker 2: When Napoleon was sent into exile, Josephine is said to
Speaker 2: have begged Czar Alexander the First of Russia to let
Speaker 2: her join him. Sadly, she never would, as Josephine would
Speaker 2: die while Napoleon was on Elba. In perhaps the most
Speaker 2: romantic cinematic ending to that story, Napoleon's last word when
Speaker 2: he died on Saint Helena was Josephine, speaking of Russia.
Speaker 2: The love story of the last Czar and Sarina of
Speaker 2: the Romanov dynasty tracked a disastrous and very sad peth.
Speaker 2: Nicholas the Second of Russia fell deeply in love with
Speaker 2: his cousin alex of Hesse as a young teenager. Many
Speaker 2: years later, their love flourished and it became clear that
Speaker 2: it was true love. Although the couple were perfect for
Speaker 2: each other, they were not perfect for the Russian people,
Speaker 2: as we covered very early on this show in an
Speaker 2: episode called Ever Dearest Cousin Nikki Tsar Nicholas was toppled
Speaker 2: by the communist Red Army in nineteen seventeen and his
Speaker 2: family was taken captive by the Provisional Government. In the
Speaker 2: middle of the night on January seventeenth, nineteen eighteen, the
Speaker 2: entire family was surprised with an execution by firing squad
Speaker 2: in the basement of their makeshift prison in Katrinbourg. While
Speaker 2: Alexandra and Nicholas had their crowns, titles, lifestyle, and ultimately
Speaker 2: lives taken away, they did die at each other's sides.
Speaker 2: We've explored many tragic love stories like those on Noble Blood,
Speaker 2: and what makes them so sad, I think is that
Speaker 2: these couples never get the happy ending that were primed
Speaker 2: to believe that all love stories deserve. People in love
Speaker 2: should get to live happily ever after. That's what the
Speaker 2: stories have taught us. But of the many many couples
Speaker 2: we've discussed on this show, none have left as monumental
Speaker 2: a legacy as that of Shai Jahan and Mumtas Mahal.
Speaker 2: Their names might sound vaguely familiar, but it is the
Speaker 2: monument that was built as a testament to their love
Speaker 2: that almost everyone on Earth would recognize a symbol probably
Speaker 2: as well known as Romeo and Juliet, the taj Mahal.
Speaker 2: I'm Dana Schwartz, and this is noble blood. If you
Speaker 2: were to ask someone in the Western world to think
Speaker 2: of India, one of the first images that probably pops
Speaker 2: into their heads is the taj Mahal, located in Agra,
Speaker 2: a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India.
Speaker 2: The taj Mahal sits on forty two acres of land
Speaker 2: at a bend in the Yamuna River. The monument reaches
Speaker 2: seventy three meters or two hundred and forty feet at
Speaker 2: its tallest, and is built almost entirely out of marble.
Speaker 2: The central building features massive arch shaped doorways that lead
Speaker 2: to the inner chamber. The roof of the building consists
Speaker 2: of four small domes and one large dome that looms
Speaker 2: large over the structure. Almost every square inch is jewel,
Speaker 2: encrusted or engraved with floral patterns versus from the Koran.
Speaker 2: Surrounding the taj Mahal are lush gardens and wide reflecting pools.
Speaker 2: But why waste any more time describing it? You are
Speaker 2: probably already familiar with it. The massively starkly white monument
Speaker 2: has become a national symbol, both in likeness and in name.
Speaker 2: And I encourage you, if you are unfamiliar, take two
Speaker 2: minutes and go look up photos of the taj Mahal.
Speaker 2: Remind yourself just how spectacular it is. What many people
Speaker 2: might not know is the reason the taj Mahal was built.
Speaker 2: It's not a temple or a palace, but a tomb
Speaker 2: built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife,
Speaker 2: Mumtaz Mahal. Further, people often take for granted the religious
Speaker 2: and cultural practices that influenced the way that the monument
Speaker 2: was built and designed. So in this episode, I'm going
Speaker 2: to recount the love story that inspired the taj Mahal
Speaker 2: and walk through what led to its creation and the
Speaker 2: maintenance of this world wonder and our story begins in
Speaker 2: northern India in the sixteenth century. The Mughal Empire, not
Speaker 2: to be confused with the Mongol Empire, ruled over parts
Speaker 2: of modern day India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh from fifteen
Speaker 2: twenty six BCE to eighteen fifty seven BC, calling this
Speaker 2: empire the Mughal Empire is a Western convention, as the
Speaker 2: Muughuls themselves called their dominion Hindustan or similar derivations of
Speaker 2: that name, but the Western name is helpful to illustrate
Speaker 2: how this empire argued for its own legitimacy. The first
Speaker 2: Mughal emperor, Babur, was a Central Asian prince who claimed
Speaker 2: descent from two great emperors, Timor also known as tamer
Speaker 2: Lane on his father's side and Genghis Khan on his mother's. Thus,
Speaker 2: Babur's legitimacy partially relied on those dynastic empirical connections. The
Speaker 2: term Mughal represents that connection, as it is the Indo
Speaker 2: Persian form of Mongol. The Mughal Empire is known for
Speaker 2: simultaneously controlling a wide swath of land and people without
Speaker 2: suppressing local cultures and religions. The ruling elite sought not
Speaker 2: to spread their culture or religion, but just to conquer
Speaker 2: land in order to maintain power and more importantly, gather
Speaker 2: wealth and acquire wealth. They did. Scholar J. C. Sharman
Speaker 2: asserts that the Mughal Empire dwarfed the European states of
Speaker 2: the time in not just wealth, but also population and
Speaker 2: land mass. Keep in mind that this was the era
Speaker 2: of the Spanish and Dutch Golden Ages, as well as
Speaker 2: the height of French opulence being built at Versailles. Europe
Speaker 2: was not doing too badly for itself during this period,
Speaker 2: but the Mughals they were doing better. They taxed their
Speaker 2: subjects to achieve their wealth, but this was about as
Speaker 2: much as was required of the subjects. There was no
Speaker 2: compulsory religion or cultural practices, so as long as they
Speaker 2: paid their taxes, locals were free to do as they pleased.
Speaker 2: To return to Babur. Babur's son, Humayan, briefly ruled following
Speaker 2: Babor's death in fifteen thirty, but it was under Humayan's
Speaker 2: son Ekbar that the Mughal Empire really began to flourish.
Speaker 2: Under Akbar, the empire expanded to include almost the entire
Speaker 2: Indian subcontinent. By the time Akbar died, his empire encompassed
Speaker 2: roughly one hundred and fifteen million people, or twenty percent
Speaker 2: of the world's estimated population. To accumulate that massive territory,
Speaker 2: Akbar led numerous military campaigns and political missions. He also
Speaker 2: extended the empire's power and sphere of influence through strategic
Speaker 2: trade relations with European trading companies, including the British East
Speaker 2: India Company. With the massive wealth Akbar accumulated, he patronized artisans, poets, artists,
Speaker 2: and holy men. His financial investment into cultural realms led
Speaker 2: to the birth of a distinctly Mughal artistic style. Returning
Speaker 2: to the religious tolerance that I mentioned was a major
Speaker 2: character of the Mughal Empire, it was Akbar who epitomized
Speaker 2: that tolerance. The Mughal Empire and the Indian subcontinent contained
Speaker 2: a myriad of different religions and sects at that time,
Speaker 2: including Sikhism, Islam, Hinduism, Sufism, Judaism, and Jainism. The Mughal
Speaker 2: elite were themselves Muslim, but instead of cracking down on
Speaker 2: the diversity of religion and forcing Islam onto his subjects,
Speaker 2: Akbar fostered acceptance of all religions through formal policy. He
Speaker 2: also sponsored dialogues and debates between holy men of different faiths,
Speaker 2: even going so far as to include Jesuit missionaries in
Speaker 2: those conversations. But this episode is not about Akbar. It
Speaker 2: is about his grandson, Emperor Shah Jahan Shah Jahan was
Speaker 2: the fifth ruler of the Mughal Empire and in many
Speaker 2: ways maintained the status quo set by his grandfather. Although
Speaker 2: he was more religiously Orthodox than his grandfather Akbar had been,
Speaker 2: and can be categorized as a devout Muslim, Shahjahan continued
Speaker 2: policies of religious tolerance. He too, again much like Akbar,
Speaker 2: led successful military campaigns across the subcontinent and furthered the
Speaker 2: expanding Mughal influence and power. With regards to his personal life,
Speaker 2: Shahjahan continued the Mughal tradition of polygamy. In Mughal India,
Speaker 2: polygamy was common amongst the highest levels of society across faiths.
Speaker 2: Shahjahan had four wives and each marriage presented a beneficial
Speaker 2: political alliance. His marriages to his first and third wives
Speaker 2: cemented a bond with a prominent Persian family in court. Similarly,
Speaker 2: the marriage to his second wife, Mumtazmahal intertwined Shahjahan's family
Speaker 2: with her powerful up and coming family. The Shah's fourth
Speaker 2: marriage was to his half cousin, who was a princess
Speaker 2: of a clan that was conquered by the Mughuls. Thus
Speaker 2: that marriage offered a symbolic sense of peace between the
Speaker 2: conqueror and the conquered. Although all of those marriages were
Speaker 2: politically expedient, only the marriage between Shahjahan and mumtaz Mahal
Speaker 2: developed into a deeper love. In just one example of
Speaker 2: the vast documentation of their love, Shahjahan's court historian noted
Speaker 2: that the emperor's quote, whole delight was centered on this
Speaker 2: illustrious lady to such an extent that he did not
Speaker 2: feel toward the others one thousandth part of the affection
Speaker 2: that he did for her, which must not have felt
Speaker 2: great for them. But we don't even need to look
Speaker 2: at court records to tell us that there was a
Speaker 2: deeper connection happening between those two. If we simply look
Speaker 2: at the numbers, it's plain to see that Shahjahan had
Speaker 2: a particular affection for mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz Mahal gave birth
Speaker 2: to all but one of Shahjahan's children, giving birth to
Speaker 2: fourteen in total. For her to carry all but one
Speaker 2: of his children and to have so many children, is
Speaker 2: by itself a testament to their connection. But Even more
Speaker 2: so is the fact that Mumtaz Mahal's fourteen children were
Speaker 2: born in the span of eighteen years, all while traveling
Speaker 2: with her husband on his numerous military campaigns. They were
Speaker 2: literally always together. Unfortunately, after many successful pregnancies on the road,
Speaker 2: the birth of Mumtaz Mahal's fourteenth child was too difficult
Speaker 2: to endure. After struggling through thirty hours of labor and
Speaker 2: a postpartum hemorrhage, she looked on the king with despair
Speaker 2: and tears in her eyes and admonished him to take
Speaker 2: good care of her children and her own aged father
Speaker 2: and mother when she was herself no more. Despite the
Speaker 2: best attempts by midwives, doctors, and her ladies in waiting,
Speaker 2: Mumtazmahal passed away at the age of thirty nine after
Speaker 2: giving birth. Shahjahan was utterly shattered. His beloved wife had
Speaker 2: been taken from him far too soon. His grief was
Speaker 2: almost all consuming, and he certainly could not proceed with
Speaker 2: life as normal. For at least a week after Mumtazmahal's death,
Speaker 2: the emperor refused to conduct any official state business. All
Speaker 2: nobles and advisers were turned away as he hid himself
Speaker 2: and wallowed in his grief. This loss stayed with Shahjahan
Speaker 2: for many years. He forswore luxuries like jewelry, perfume and
Speaker 2: music for two years, and his beard allegedly turned white
Speaker 2: from his stress and despair. Every Friday for months after
Speaker 2: his wife's passing, Shahjahan would visit her grave and recite
Speaker 2: the prayer for the departed, the Fatiha. But her grave
Speaker 2: was located in Burhanpur, where his army had been stationed
Speaker 2: when she passed. But when it was time for the
Speaker 2: army to leave, the emperor had faced a dilemma. He
Speaker 2: couldn't just leave his beloved there as he returned home,
Speaker 2: nor could he bury her in any normal tomb, and
Speaker 2: so as soon as he returned to his home base
Speaker 2: in Agra, he picked out the location on the Yamuna
Speaker 2: River where he would bury Mumtaz Mahal and build her tomb.
Speaker 2: It would take six months for her body to be
Speaker 2: transported there, but once she arrived, construction of her resting
Speaker 2: place officially began. Shahjahan turned to his court architect ustadim
Speaker 2: On Lahore to design and lead the building process of
Speaker 2: the tomb. Lahouri had a tall order, not just in
Speaker 2: being asked to build a tomb worthy of the emperor's
Speaker 2: favorite deceased wife, but also in that he essentially had
Speaker 2: to create a new architectural style. Remember that the Mughal
Speaker 2: Empire was tolerant of many religions and contained many different
Speaker 2: ethnic groups. Know also that the Mughuls didn't really have
Speaker 2: their own distinct architectural style at this point, So Lahouri
Speaker 2: leaned into their cultural acceptance in order to synthesize a
Speaker 2: brand new style influenced by first the architectural style of
Speaker 2: the Mughals rulers ancestral homelands in Central Asia and the
Speaker 2: buildings built previously by Muslim rulers in India, and the
Speaker 2: even older styles indigenous to India. The Mughals were quite
Speaker 2: proud of their heritage. I previously mentioned they descended from
Speaker 2: Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, massive forces in Asian history. As such,
Speaker 2: they were keen to associate themselves with those emperors, Tamerlane
Speaker 2: in particular, and utilized that building style to do it.
Speaker 2: Timrid architecture is characterized by the presence of domes and
Speaker 2: intricate geometric patterns. The tomb of the second Mughal emperor,
Speaker 2: Human Shahjahan's great grandfather is a fantastic example of a
Speaker 2: Mughal building inspired by Central Asian architectural traditions. In fact,
Speaker 2: Lahori looked at that tomb in order to inform his
Speaker 2: understanding of that style. It was important for Lahori to
Speaker 2: also incorporate Muslim artistic traditions in the design of the
Speaker 2: taj Mahal. The Muguls were themselves Muslim, and therefore mumtaz
Speaker 2: Mahal's tomb had to adhere to Muslim conventions. Some of
Speaker 2: the defining characteristics of Indo Islamic architecture from before the
Speaker 2: Mughals included ornate minarets or towers used to call people
Speaker 2: to prayer, and intricately decorated mihrabs or niches in the
Speaker 2: wall used to indicate the direction of mecca. We can see,
Speaker 2: in particular the tradition of minarets in the design of
Speaker 2: the taj Mahal. The four towers at the corners of
Speaker 2: the larger mausoleum are a prime example of ornate minarets.
Speaker 2: Because the Mughal Empire encompassed areas that had a century's
Speaker 2: long history of Muslim rulership and architecture, Lahore had ample
Speaker 2: examples of Indo Islamic architecture to turn to when designing
Speaker 2: and constructing the taj Mahal. While those first two sources
Speaker 2: of inspiration came from aspects of elite Mughal identity that
Speaker 2: were arguably foreign to the Indian subcontinent, the third stylistic
Speaker 2: inspiration came from the people who were actually building the tomb.
Speaker 2: Indian architects, the people who would be lending their expertise
Speaker 2: and talent to constructing Mumtaz Mahal's tomb, while certainly learned
Speaker 2: in those other styles, were able to contribute skills that
Speaker 2: wouldn't have been seen in Timid or into Islamic architecture,
Speaker 2: primarily stone carving. India has an abundance of stone with
Speaker 2: which to carve, something not found in the deserts of
Speaker 2: western or Central Asia. As much Indian architects over the
Speaker 2: centuries had perfected their ability to carve stone and marble,
Speaker 2: we can attribute the brilliant white color of the taj
Speaker 2: Mahal to its marble facade, something that they were able
Speaker 2: to create due to that vast stone carving tradition. Of course,
Speaker 2: all of those styles were not distinct and had a
Speaker 2: lot of overlapping features. But I think it's fascinating to
Speaker 2: see just how much of a melting pot the Mughal
Speaker 2: Empire was and seeing that physically in front of you,
Speaker 2: based on the different styles and cultural traditions reflected in
Speaker 2: the taj Mahal. Now, like I said, designing and constructing
Speaker 2: the taj Mahal was no small task, and Ustad Ahmed
Speaker 2: Lahore did not undertake it alone. He managed a board
Speaker 2: of architects who collectively oversaw more than twenty thousand workers
Speaker 2: and artisans these crafts people came from across the Asian
Speaker 2: and even European continent, with some artisans coming from as
Speaker 2: far as Italy. Starting in sixteen thirty one, construction began
Speaker 2: as people started hauling in ported marble to the site,
Speaker 2: started hoisting materials up with complex polley systems, and securing
Speaker 2: the foundations of the building. They meticulously carved the marble
Speaker 2: and delicately inlaid precious stones throughout the entire structure, both
Speaker 2: on the exterior and the interior. Understandably, it took them
Speaker 2: twelve years for the tomb to be finished, and even
Speaker 2: longer to finish outlying structures and the gardens. All in all,
Speaker 2: the taj Mahal would be complete in sixteen fifty three,
Speaker 2: more than twenty years after Shahjahan commissioned it. I've focused
Speaker 2: on the building, but I don't want to overlook the
Speaker 2: importance of the gardens and ponds surrounding the mausoleum. We
Speaker 2: can classify the entire complex as a quote sharbag, or
Speaker 2: a type of garden with four quadrants separated by waterways
Speaker 2: meant to reflect depictions of paradise found in the Qur'an.
Speaker 2: At the taj Mahal, there are four ponds or reflecting
Speaker 2: pools extending out from the center of the garden, just
Speaker 2: like the four rivers that extended from the Garden of Eden. Lahri.
Speaker 2: In building Mumtaz Mahal's tomb in an expansive sharbag garden
Speaker 2: was creating an idyllic place for the tomb, a fasimile
Speaker 2: of the Garden of Eden. In essence, she was to
Speaker 2: be laid to rest in paradise. Ultimately, the taj Mahal
Speaker 2: would be not just Mumtaz Mahal's tomb, but Shahjahan's as well.
Speaker 2: Shortly after the tomb was complete, Shahjahan was overthrown by
Speaker 2: his and mumtaz Mahal's son Aragzeb. When Shahjahan became gravely
Speaker 2: ill in sixteen fifty eight, Aurangzeb and his brothers sensed
Speaker 2: that the issue of succession was rapidly approaching, so they
Speaker 2: began to face off for their father's throne. Ultimately, Aragzeb
Speaker 2: defeated his brothers in the battle for power by either
Speaker 2: killing them or running them out of the empire. But
Speaker 2: the one thing standing in his way was still his father,
Speaker 2: who did not die like it had seemed like he would.
Speaker 2: Unable to commit patricide, Arangzeb placed Shahjahan under house arrest
Speaker 2: in the Fort of Agra. Here, Shajahan was essentially siloed,
Speaker 2: unable to lead the empire, but he was able to
Speaker 2: live out his days with almost any or everything that
Speaker 2: he could have ever wanted, And although he was unable
Speaker 2: to leave the grounds, he was still able to gaze
Speaker 2: across the river and admire his beloved resting place. Eight
Speaker 2: years later, when Shajahan finally passed, his son had him
Speaker 2: interred alongside his mother Muntazmahal. Kept apart for thirty years,
Speaker 2: the couple finally reunited and under the majestic domes is
Speaker 2: where the couple currently rest side by side for eternity.
Speaker 2: One brief side note. If you've heard the rumor that
Speaker 2: Shahjahan cut off the hands of every worker who built
Speaker 2: the taj Mahal so that they could never construct anything
Speaker 2: that beautiful again, it is just that it is a rumor.
Speaker 2: There is actually no historical evidence of that at all. Unfortunately,
Speaker 2: the twenty years of hard work that had gone into
Speaker 2: building the immaculate taj Mahal were undone a century later,
Speaker 2: when Shahjahan was no longer around to protect the complex
Speaker 2: and the luxurious trappings inside, it became a target of
Speaker 2: theft by those within and without the Mughal Empire. In
Speaker 2: seventeen twenty, an influential Mogul courtier removed the sheets of
Speaker 2: pearl that encased the two sarcophagi. In seventeen sixty one,
Speaker 2: the ruler of the Kingdom of Bartpur laid siege on Agra,
Speaker 2: ultimately taking over control of the city and the taj
Speaker 2: Mahal from the Mughal Empire. Their ruler Maharaja suraj Mal
Speaker 2: decided to take the massive silver doors of the tomb
Speaker 2: so that he could melt the silver down. A Mughal
Speaker 2: historian of the time also records that during that period
Speaker 2: of Baratpur control, the central fifteen foot gold finial or
Speaker 2: ornamental spire at the top of a roof was taken
Speaker 2: as well. In general, with no one there who actively
Speaker 2: took care of the complex protecting it, the taj Mahal
Speaker 2: fell into disrepair. But given the fact that we all
Speaker 2: know of the taj Mahal and how spectacular it is,
Speaker 2: people have since stepped up to preserve and protect it.
Speaker 2: In the late nineteenth century, during the British Raj Viceroy
Speaker 2: Curzone undertook the first major restoration project of the taj Mahal,
Speaker 2: during which he added a chandelier to the main interior chamber.
Speaker 2: Since then, the Indian government has put in place regulations
Speaker 2: to prevent air pollution from degrading the marble and turning
Speaker 2: the monument a yellow brown color. There is now a
Speaker 2: four thousand square mile area around the taj Mahal in
Speaker 2: which there are incredibly strict emissions regulations for their adding
Speaker 2: a layer of protection, the tomb is now designated as
Speaker 2: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which comes with a variety
Speaker 2: of legal safeguards that will hopefully preserve the monument into perpetuity.
Speaker 2: But it's not just these government agencies and institutions that
Speaker 2: show us how special the taj Mahal is. Last year,
Speaker 2: over five million people visited the site, and pre pandemic
Speaker 2: the visitor numbers exceeded six million. The site is among
Speaker 2: the top ten most visited tourist destinations in the entire world,
Speaker 2: competing with the Vatican, the Ife Tower, and the Forbidden
Speaker 2: City in Beijing. People all over the world continue to
Speaker 2: travel to Agra, specifically to see the tomb that a
Speaker 2: bereft husband built for his beloved wife. The magnitude of
Speaker 2: the legacy of Shah Jahan and mumtaz Mahal cannot be overstated.
Speaker 2: So next time you see an Indian restaurant named after
Speaker 2: the taj Mahal or a tea blend borrowing the name,
Speaker 2: I hope you think of that couple and the depth
Speaker 2: of their love across time. Keep listening after a short
Speaker 2: sponsor break to hear a little bit more about another
Speaker 2: tragic love story that connects to the taj Mahal. Since
Speaker 2: I opened this episode with some tragic love stories, I
Speaker 2: felt it was only fitting to end with one. If
Speaker 2: you didn't know any better, you could just assume that
Speaker 2: the bench at the end of the reflecting pool in
Speaker 2: front of the taj Mahal was just a regular old bench.
Speaker 2: But that bench has managed to become incredibly important for
Speaker 2: the British royal family. Prince Charles now King Charles the
Speaker 2: Third of England is a known India file. He has
Speaker 2: traveled to the country ten times and even spent his
Speaker 2: seventy first birthday there. On his second trip to India,
Speaker 2: the then thirty two year old Prince was one of
Speaker 2: the most eligible bachelors in the world. On that trip,
Speaker 2: he visited the taj Mahal, where he took a photo
Speaker 2: seated on the aforementioned bench. While talking to reporters at
Speaker 2: the monument, he proudly proclaimed, I can understand that love
Speaker 2: could make a man build the taj Mahal for his wife.
Speaker 2: One day, I would like to bring my own back here.
Speaker 2: It would take ten years Charles to return to India,
Speaker 2: but once he and Princess Diana announced their February nineteen
Speaker 2: ninety two, tour to India, it appeared as though he
Speaker 2: was following through on his proclaimed wish to share the
Speaker 2: beautiful taj Mahal with his wife. However, Charles did not
Speaker 2: visit the taj Mahal on that trip. Instead, Princess Diana
Speaker 2: would visit the taj Mahal alone, after keeping reporters waiting
Speaker 2: for a number of hours uncertain whether or not she
Speaker 2: would even come. When she did finally arrive, she sat
Speaker 2: down for photos on the very same bench where Charles
Speaker 2: had sat a decade earlier. Photographer Noir Hussein was there
Speaker 2: on that day and recalls Diana's demeanor as she sat
Speaker 2: in front of one of the most ostentatious symbols of love.
Speaker 2: He said quote, she looked sad and she knew which
Speaker 2: way the story would go. She was very clever. There
Speaker 2: were other pictures taken that day on another their bench,
Speaker 2: when she seemed to be contemplating things. Those photos only
Speaker 2: bolstered the rumors circulating about the couple's strained marriage. It
Speaker 2: wouldn't even be a year later that Charles and Diana
Speaker 2: would announce their divorce. When Prince William and Princess Kate
Speaker 2: visited India in twenty sixteen, they too visited the taj Mahal.
Speaker 2: Everyone was on pins and needles to see if the
Speaker 2: couple would sit on the very same bench where William's
Speaker 2: father and his late mother had both sat separately years before.
Speaker 2: The couple did end up sitting at that bench for
Speaker 2: photos together, in a way reclaiming the bench and all
Speaker 2: that it came to symbolize. Noble Blood is a production
Speaker 2: of iHeart Radio and Grimm and Mild from Aaron Mankey.
Speaker 2: Noble Blood is hosted by me Danish Forts, with additional
Speaker 2: writing and researching by Hannah Johnston, Hannah Zewick, Courtney Sender,
Speaker 2: Julia Milani, and Armand Cassam. The show is edited and
Speaker 2: produced by Noehmy Griffin and rima il Kaali, with supervising
Speaker 2: producer Josh Thain and executive producers Aaron Mankey, Alex Williams
Speaker 2: and Matt Frederick. Four more podcasts from iHeartRadio. Visit the
Speaker 2: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
Speaker 2: favorite shows.