Who Was Madhavi Raje Scindia? Gwalior Royal Family Matriarch Passes Away

On May 15, 2024, Madhavi Raje Scindia, the renowned matriarch of the Gwalior royal dynasty and mother of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, died in AIIMS Delhi after being hospitalised for the past three months, suffering from pneumonia and sepsis. Madhavi Raje Scindia, the wife of the late Madhavrao Scindia, a distinguished politician and former Union Minister, stood out for her grace and dignity throughout her life. She was born into nobility, the great-granddaughter of Nepal's Prime Minister and Maharaja of Kaski, and she bore the title Rajmata, symbolising her esteemed position as the Queen Mother of the Gwalior royal line.

Remembering Madhavi Raje Scindia

In recent months, she was under the care of medical experts at AIIMS, Delhi. Despite the best efforts of the healthcare professionals, she succumbed to her ailments. Reports indicate that she had been on a ventilator during her final days, grappling with pneumonia compounded by sepsis. 

“With great sorrow, they wish to share that Rajmata is no more. Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia's mother and the Rajmata of the Gwalior royal family, Rajmata Madhavi Raje Scindia, had been undergoing treatment at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi for the past two months. Her condition had been extremely critical for the past two weeks. This morning, at 9:28 AM, she took her last breath at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi. Om Shanti,” the press statement said.  

The Life Of Rajmata

Maharani Madhavi Raje Scindia, consort to Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia of Gwalior, was not merely a spouse to a political titan but a force of nature in her own right.  On September 30, 2001, Madhavrao Scindia, a veteran Congress leader, died in a plane crash near Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh.

Since his death, she has taken pride in charitable endeavours and served as chairman of 24 trusts focused on education and medical care. She was also the chairman of the board of governors at the Scindias Kanya Vidyalaya, which educates girls. She also established the Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia II gallery in the Royal Museum in honour of her late husband.

Her son, civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, is currently running for re-election to the Lok Sabha from Guna in Madhya Pradesh in the 2024 general elections.