Oprah Winfrey: Indian Gay Prince Would Have Proposed to You

Allie @ Gone Hollywood | Thursday, October 25, 2007

He is the gay prince. She, the queen of talk shows.

When Manvendra Singh Gohil, scion of the royal family of Rajpipla in Gujarat, met Oprah Winfrey on her show, both appeared awestruck.

Oprah Winfrey Awestruck Over Gay Prince - PIC

“Had I not been a gay, I would have proposed to you,” Gohil told Oprah. “Nothing like living in a palace,” she responded promptly. The atmosphere during the show, ‘Gay around the world’, was electric. For two-and-a-half hours, Gohil, dressed in Rajwadi sherwani and bandhni safa , and looking every bit the quintessential Indian prince, fielded every question posed on his personal life – not consummating his marriage, the turmoil in his life while coming to terms with his sexuality and his stormy relationship with his parents, who had disowned him after he came out of the closet last year.

The show, aired in the US on Wednesday, was supplemented with live footage from Rajpipla and interview of Gohil’s father to tell his side of the story. The gay prince revealed that although they live in the same palace, he and his mother live in separate wings. “She would try to turn her face away,” he told Oprah.

The erstwhile royal expressed no regrets over losing the crown someday. “I will not regret that because I am true to myself and to the gay community for which I am working, especially on HIV prevention,” he said.

Clearly bowled over by Oprah, Gohil told TOI after the show: “On meeting Oprah, I realised she believes in truth. And she supports someone who is truthful. I grew up watching her shows. Who wouldn’t feel great having her seated next to you? She came across as a very down-to-earth person and made me feel comfortable before the show.”

Oprah did get an Indian souvenir from the prince – a Ganesha idol.

“She knew about the elephant god and seemed to be a spiritually inclined person. She told me she’ll keep it on her work desk,” Gohil beamed.