India no longer has a princely state and a ruling Maharaja, but the survivors of many families that once ruled much of this country still own palaces, art collections, land and inherited wealth. Titles such as "Maharaja" and "Viceroy" no longer have legal and political status, but are still used by some families. The question is what do these uncrowned princes and queens do today with the huge inheritance that has come to them?
One of them is Radhikaraja Gaekwad, the Maharani of Baroda, who resides in the great palace of Lakshmi Vilas in Vadodara; The private residence of the Gackwood family, parts of which are open to public visits and cultural programs. He told AFP that the secret to the continued presence of India's former royal families was "adaptation"; It means finding a new role in a world that no longer needs them to rule.