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Treasures belonging to the great royal families of India which have never been seen in Britain go on show in London this week.
The Victoria and Albert Museum has brought together more than 250 objects belonging to maharajas over two and a half centuries for an exhibition exploring the splendour of their courts.
Turban jewels, court paintings, thrones, jewellery and a 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I are included in the show, which secured support from the families it features with its promise to show the socially responsible side of the rulers - who introduced irrigation systems, gave to the poor and, eventually, fought in the First World War - as well as their immense glamour and wealth.
The show starts with a re-creation of a traditional elephant procession with full ornamental costume and canopy.
Museum curators led by Anna Jackson hired an elephant in Udaipur to get the right measurements after exhibition designers found it impossible to get the vital statistics of an Indian as opposed to an African elephant.
Maharaja: The Splendour of India's Royal Courts opens on Saturday and runs until 17 January.
