03/09/2025
In 1967, Hope Cooke, hoping to help Sikkim remain independent, boldly published an article asking India to return Darjeeling to the Sikkim kingdom. This move was not only unusual but risky and controversial. The claim was based on old agreements and was meant to pressure India into recognizing Sikkim’s independence. Many officials in India saw this as a provocation, and some believed Hope was acting as a secret agent for America, even calling her a “Trojan horse” in Sikkim.
This incident increased tension between Sikkim and India, and also created distrust among palace insiders who feared Hope’s growing influence. Her attempt to reclaim Darjeeling failed, but it remains a dramatic episode that shows how the Queen tried to shape the destiny of her adopted home in ways very few outsiders ever dared.
