Britain’s Queen Camilla unveils portrait of Indian-origin spy Noor Inayat Khan

Britain’s Queen Camilla has unveiled a brand new portrait of the Indian-origin spy and descendent of Tipu Sultan, Noor Inayat Khan, on the Royal Air Force (RAF) Club right here to honour her sacrifice as an spy for Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) throughout the World War II.

The 76-year-old senior royal on Tuesday additionally formally named a room on the RAF Club as “Noor Inayat Khan Room”, the place the portrait hangs reverse a stained-glass window celebrating girls within the RAF which was inaugurated by her late mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II in 2018.

Noor was a member of RAF’s Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) when she was recruited to the SOE in 1942 and went on to change into certainly one of solely two members of the WAAF to be awarded the George Cross (GC) – the best award bestowed for acts of the best heroism, or for probably the most conspicuous braveness in circumstances of utmost hazard.

“It was a proud moment to have the Queen unveil the portrait of Noor Inayat Khan at the RAF Club,” said British Indian author Shrabani Basu, who presented a copy of her biography of Noor – ‘Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan’ – to the Queen at the unveiling ceremony.

“For me, it has been a privilege to inform her story. This great portrait will now be seen by many younger women and men for generations. Noor’s story won’t ever be forgotten,” she said.

Born Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan in Moscow in 1914 to an Indian sufi saint father and American mother, Noor moved to London at a young age before settling in Paris for her school years. Following the fall of France during the Second World War, she escaped to England and joined the WAAF.

In late 1942, she was recruited into the SOE – created to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied territories during the war.

Her new portrait at the RAF Club was unveiled in the presence of her relatives, including 95-year-old cousin Shaikh Mahmood and nephew Pir Zia Inayat Khan.

The portrait has been created by celebrated British artist Paul Brason, a former President of the Society of Portrait Painters. He based his creation on the few available images of Noor Inayat Khan to capture her steely resolve as an undercover agent, who refused to crack under brutal Nazi interrogation before being shot by the Gestapo at Dachau concentration camp in Germany in 1944 with the word “liberty” on her lips.

“Noor was the primary girl SOE operator to be infiltrated into France, and was landed by Lysander plane on 16 June 1943. During the next weeks, the Gestapo arrested a lot of the Paris Resistance Group by which she labored. Despite the hazard, Noor refused to return to England as a result of she didn’t want to depart her French comrades with out communications and he or she hoped additionally to rebuild the Group,” the RAF Club stated in an announcement.

“The Gestapo had a full description of Noor, who they knew solely by her code identify ‘Madeleine’, and in October 1943 she was captured by them. Despite brutal interrogation she refused to offer any data, both as to her work or her colleagues. She was imprisoned in Gestapo HQ, throughout which period she made two unsuccessful makes an attempt at escape, and was then despatched to Germany for therefore known as ‘safe custody’. She was thought-about to be a very harmful and uncooperative prisoner,” it famous.

Noor was awarded the GC posthumously for displaying probably the most conspicuous braveness, each ethical and bodily, over a interval of greater than 12 months.

Founded in 1918, the RAF Club is a non-public Members’ Club and registered charity that gives a house away from house for officers of the RAF and their households. The Club counts round 24,000 Officers and former serving officers of the Royal Air Force and their households as its members.

Edited By:

Aishwarya Dakhore

Published On:

Aug 30, 2023