Throughout 2025, Ancient House in Thetford will be celebrating 100 years as a museum. The museum opened on 11th December 1924 and 100 years later, Ancient House Museum of Thetford Life will celebrate its centenary with the unveiling of beautiful new displays exploring the life of Maharajah Duleep Singh, last Maharajah of the Punjab who lived nearby at Elveden Hall.
The opening of the displays is part of the first phase of the Prince Frederick’s Thetford Museum project, which is supported by a generous grant from National Lottery players through the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with additional funding from Thetford Town Council, Breckland Council, Friends of Thetford Museum, Norfolk County Council and Arts Council England.
It was Maharajah Duleep Singh’s son, Prince Frederick, who gifted Ancient House to the people of Thetford in 1921. The museum opened three years later, an occasion attended by Prince Frederick himself, the Duchess of Grafton and local Thetford dignitaries.
The new exhibition that opened in December celebrates this important legacy for the town, looking at the fascinating life of Prince Frederick’s father, Maharajah Duleep Singh – his parents, his wife, and his life, both in Punjab and after he moved to England.
New interpretation and objects bring this remarkable story to life in new ways for visitors to the museum – from intricate models of Elveden Hall, the Maharajah’s country house, to personal items such as Prince Frederick’s sandwich box and writing case on display in the ‘Treasury Room’. A greater focus on the Maharajah’s mother, Maharani Jind Kaur, and his first wife, Bamba Müller, have brought new aspects of the Duleep Singh story to light.
And there is more to come! Over the early part of this year, there will be further enhancements to the displays including digital content using InfoPoint. This is alongside a lively events programme including family activity days, workshops, the ever-popular Festival of Thetford and Punjab, youth projects, talks, and more!
If you would like to support your local museum as it enters its second century, please join as a Friend of the Museum. It is just £10 per person for 2025, which includes 11 free afternoon talks, free admission to the museum to see our new exhibits, and 10% off in the museum gift shop. Pop into the museum to join. For further information visit: www.ancienthouse.norfolk.gov.uk
