Ranee Museum
Kuching, Sarawak

The Ranee Museum or Ranee: Margaret of Sarawak exhibition is an interesting little museum exploring the extraordinary life of Margaret de Windt (1849-1936) who, at age 19, married Charles Brooke, the second Rajah of Sarawak.

the Ranee Museum in the old courthouse building

The museum, which is managed by the Brooke Trust, is housed in one of the historic Old Court House buildings on Kuching Waterfront. It contains a unique collection of artefacts, photos, paintings and information on Margaret's life and describes how she strove to find a role for herself beyond just providing a male heir to the Raj.

photo of a dashing young Charles BrookePhoto of a dashing young Charles Brooke in the mid 1860s.

Charles, the second Rajah, had strong views on many issues and he did not really approve of his officers marrying but he felt he had a duty to marry and produce a son in order to continue the Brooke dynasty. He travelled to England to find a wife. He had few contacts there but was aware of a cousin called Mrs de Windt who was widowed and had inherited a fortune from her French grandmother. While he may originally have had the intention of marrying Mrs de Windt, he ended up proposing to her 19 year old daughter Margaret instead. Margaret (or Marguerite) accepted, despite the 20 year age difference and not being in love with Charles because she was bored at home and, having read Rajah Charles's account of his adventures Ten Years in Sarawak, the opportunity of a very different life in Kuching appealed to her. They married in October 1869 in Wiltshire.

The museum has paintings and information on Margaret's aristocratic ancestry and photos of the family home in Wiltshire.

old photo of the Astana in 1870s with Ranee sitting on the verandah

The Rajah and Ranee, who was already pregnant, arrived back in Kuching in April 1870 and moved into the newly built Astana palace. Margaret loved to sit on the verandah and admire her exotic garden and views.

Ranee Margaret dressed in Malay attirePortrait of Margaret in Malay attire.

She liked to immerse herself in the local culture and entertain the Malay ladies and she even introduced reading and writing for some of them, despite local disapproval of such a move.

Ranee with Malay friends and attendantsMargaret with friends and attendants.

She fulfilled her role as mother and had seven children although only three survived to adulthood. Her three sons pictured below are, left to right, Harry, Vyner and Bertram. Vyner was appointed Rajah Muda or heir-apparent and he succeeded Charles when the Rajah died in 1917.

Vyner, Harry and Bertram Brooke

There is a lot more of interest in the Ranee Museum including her accomplishments as a brilliant pianist, a writer, poet, jewellery designer, dress designer, painter and photographer. She even composed the Sarawak national anthem of that time.

Review Verdict

The Ranee Museum gives visitors an insight into the remarkable life of this extraordinary woman. I would include this as a must-see attraction in Kuching, together with its sister museum, the Brooke Gallery located just across the river. I visited them both on the same day with a combined ticket (see below).

Opening Hours & Admission Charges

Open Daily 9am - 4.45pm

Ticket Prices

  • Local RM 10
  • Foreigner RM 20
  • Concession RM 5
  • Children under 7 Free

A combined ticket for both museums (Ranee Museum and Brooke Gallery) is available:

  • Local RM 15
  • Foreigner RM 30

How To Get to Ranee Museum

The exact location is marked on this map:

The Ranee Museum
Block D, The Old Court House
Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg
93000 Kuching
Sarawak

Nearby

  • Kuching Waterfront
  • India Street
  • Darul Hana Bridge
  • Carpenter Street

See a full list and details of other Kuching attractions here.

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