Book: Sylvia, Queen of the Headhunters

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Here's another snippet of Sarawak history, by way of a book review. Back in school, most of us would have read the history books on the White Rajahs of Sarawak - Sir James Brooke (1803-1868), Sir Charles Brooke (1829-1917) and Sir Charles Vyner Brooke (1874-1963) - who ruled Sarawak for more than a hundred years. But some of us may not be as familiar with the Rajah's wives or Ranees as they were called. James Brooke never married, so that leaves Ranee Margaret, wife of Rajah Charles and Ranee Sylvia wife of Rajah Charles Vyner.  


We will cover Ranee Margaret in another posting. This blog entry specifically focuses on Ranee Sylvia (1885-1971).

This book "Sylvia - Queen of the Headhunters" by Philip Eade is a fascinating biography about Sylvia, the Last Ranee of Sarawak. One reviewer described her as "a outrageous self-publicist, schemer and socialite extraordinaire, Sylvia Brooke, whether one liked or loathed her, was clearly an unusual woman living in extraordinary times. Well-known in her lifetime, Brooke is a woman little written about in recent years but in Sylvia, Queen of the Headhunters Philip Eade has helped to secure her place in history and has succeeded in providing a fascinating and unbiased account of the fame and infamy of Sylvia Brooke." (Erin Britton)

Sylvia Leonora Brett was the daughter of Viscount Esher and his wife Elizabeth, The young Sylvia seemed to have a difficult childhood and even tried to kill herself even before age 12. Later she sought both fame and adventure, trying her hand at storywriting, and impressing such literary luminaries as George Bernard Shaw (of "Pygmalion" fame) and J.M. Barrie (author of "Peter Pan").

Around age 24, Sylvia joined an all-female choral orchestra established by the Ranee Margaret. It was through this and related events that she met her future husband Charles Vyner. After Vyner became Rajah in 1917, Sylvia, much to her enjoyment, became Ranee of the tiny Sarawak and its population of 500,000 Malay, Chinese and native Dayaks.

The Brookes tried to be benevolent rulers and Sylvia clearly did love Sarawak, remarking that “the magic of it all possessed me, sight, sound and sense; there was in this abundant land everything for which my heart had yearned.” 


She even styled herself as the Queen of the Headhunters even though the Dayaks had stopped cutting off heads some years earlier (although there was a brief revival of the practice during the Japanese occupation of 1941-45).

Vyner and Sylvia had three somewhat wild daughters, who married eight times between them. They were known to the press as Princess Gold, Princess Pearl and Princess Baba. One of them married a wrestler; another married a band-leader. Sylvia herself was a socialite and even once on the popular British talk show Parkinson.

Charles Vyner and Sylvia

It appears that Vyner had an eye for the ladies. There were numerous other women in his life, and the marriage between him and Sylvia was described by some observers as an "open relationship". Towards their later years, they lived almost separate lives, although according to Sylvia they were still on cordial terms.


Well, an interesting addendum to Sarawak history, isn't it? Read the book if you're interested in more details.


HOMEWORK
It would be interesting if you guys can ask the elders in your family what they remember of the White Rajahs and their rule of Sarawak. Perhaps your dad or grand-dad may even have met them in person, and may have stories to add to this. Then share what you learn on this blog.


Over to you ...
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