Prince Cirusaly's and Princess Sakeena's great-great-great grandfather was the last King of Oudh, Wajid Ali Shah, who once ruled five million subjects from Lucknow in Northern India. In the year 1856, British Colonial rulers dethroned the King and annexed his kingdom. While some Maharaja families were allowed to keep their palaces, many of which today have been rebuilt into lavish five star hotels bringing the income enabling them to sustain an extravagant lifestyle, the Oudh's lost their palaces and privileges and many in the family were left with very little.

In 1985, after having occupied a waiting room in the New Delhi train station for ten years in an attempt to get their palaces and privileges back by embarrassing the Indian government, the then prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi, offered them a house in New Delhi. Today the once wealthy family is almost broke, having been forced to sell many of their royal antiques to take care of themselves, feed their dogs and pay their servants.

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