FAMILY and friends offered their final eulogies to Lord Swraj Paul at his funeral at Golders Green Crematorium in north London on Wednesday (27).
It had rained earlier in the morning, but by the time mourners emerged from the West Chapel after a simple and dignified 40-minute service, led by Dr MN Nandakumara, executive director of the Bhavan in West Kensington, the sun had come out.
Lord Paul’s twin sons, Akash and Ambar, and daughter, Anjli, and their children lined up to be comforted by a long line of people who had admired the steel tycoon, who died on August 21, aged 94.
The chapel had a garlanded portrait of Lord Paul against the background of the Om symbol. This was later moved near the Garden of Remembrance by a wall with memorial plaques.
The service spoke of the Hindu belief that the soul is eternal, as set out in Lord Paul’s funeral notice: “For the soul, there is neither birth nor death at any time. It has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. The soul is unborn, eternal and primeval. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.”
From the eulogies, MBA students would have gained an understanding of why Lord Paul had made such a remarkable success of the Caparo steel business he had founded in 1968, and, perhaps, more important, found a way of making friends in the UK, India and America.
Sarah Brown, wife of the former prime minister Gordon Brown and the first to offer her reflections on Lord Paul, began with a reference to his time in the upper house since 1996.
“Oh, he did love the title and the prestige and power and even the pomp of the House of Lords,” she said. “There is no doubt that he fulfilled the greatest of lifetime achievements across his 94 years as a captain of industry, as a peer of the realm, as one of India’s most high-profile and best loved sons, as a great philanthropist, and as the rescuer and guardian of his beloved London Zoo.”
She said Swraj and his wife, Aruna, who passed away in 2022 after 65 years of marriage, “really were the original power couple. But for all that, he was also happy to just be Swraj – a family man and a great friend with a loyal and often sentimental heart. He led such a big life full of huge ups, but also the saddest and most heartbreaking of downs.”
She went on: “Losing (his daughter) Ambika aged just four and (his son) Angad (aged 45 in 2015) far too soon are without doubt the saddest of those times for Swraj and Aruna and for all the Paul family. But you all know how very proud he was of all his children and their spouses, Akash and Nisha, Ambar and Gauri, and of Anjli, and (Angad’s wife) Michelle.
Members of Lord Paul's family meet mourners after the funeral
“That he lived to see and know his grandchildren and his great grandchildren brought the greatest pleasure – I would often visit Swraj for a cup of decaf coffee and most of the conversation was about family – including his affection for my own children and for Gordon.”
She recalled she and her husband had lost their baby daughter, Jennifer Jane, in January 2002, just ten days after her premature birth on December 28, 2001.
“I know that my closeness in age to Ambika, and that Gordon and my loss of our baby daughter brought Swraj and me together all the more in common understanding of how to live well and fully with love for everyone around you, despite holding on to the broken pieces inside you for those you miss so much,” she said.
She did not forget to thank those who had looked after Lord Paul in his final years: “I want to extend gratitude to Salma and all the team of carers as well as Jo (Clarke) at the office – you were like an extra extension of family too and he received the best of care in his last years; and Elizabeth Allan who was his loyal PA for many years and later his friend to the very end.
“The family motto is, ‘Truth, freedom and compassion,’ which he did his best to live up to. I don’t think there is anyone else about whom you could say more strongly that he lived life on his own terms. And he was a great one for paying it forward as he recognised his good fortune in life. Alongside his philanthropic causes, he also gave his time to me first at the Labour Party and later as the founding chair of trustees of PiggyBankKids, now the charity Theirworld, sharing his time and wisdom generously.”
Sarah remembered: “I met him over 35 years ago when I was very junior and trying to organise events for high level Labour Party supporters and he signed up and turned up. With Lord Paul on the attendance list, I would persuade everyone else to come along too to learn more about what New Labour might deliver in a future government.”
Her husband (who followed the funeral online) was not able to attend because of work commitments, but “Gordon asked me to share that ‘nobody did more to prove that you can do good and do well at the same time. He leaves behind a legacy of achievement and success. But, most of all, he was a family man who cherished his wonderful wife Aruna and all his amazing children and who was a friend to all who knew him: no one can forget the winning smile, the happy demeanour, the welcoming hand, his very human qualities, that made him popular on every road he travelled. He will be mourned in every part of the world, always to be remembered, never to be forgotten.’”
Sarah said: “I couldn’t agree with Gordon more that it is Swraj’s family who are his true legacy. Together the children, grandchildren (and even if they don’t know it yet, the great grandchildren) are faced with an enormous opportunity to take forward these values, the hard work and the responsibility of the different Caparo businesses and philanthropies.
“I know that each Paul family member brings different strengths and focus to different parts of the world, to growing the business in India, in the US with their tremendous Bull Moose colleagues, and here in the UK. Some of you bring wisdom and experience, others your youthfulness and fresh ideas.
“You all share his talent, his charisma, and his belief in the Paul family name. Together you can choose to pool those strengths and skills to build something even greater. The Paul family name appears on plaques in significant places of education, culture and community around the world – now the Paul family themselves will be the living embodiment in action – and I am sure that wherever the lasting spirit of Swraj, Aruna, Angad and Ambika are, that their guiding light will be there to encourage this stewardship and make you all worthy of the big footprints left for you to follow.”
Sarah was followed by Cherie Blair, wife of the former prime minister, Sir Tony Blair: “I’m grateful to the family for asking me to deliver these remarks on behalf of Tony, who is in America at the moment, and myself.”
It later emerged her husband was in the White House with US president Donald Trump, discussing possible plans for Gaza, in case there was a peace settlement.
“Swraj’s life is an epic journey of achievement from Jalandhar in the Punjab to Marylebone, the House of Lords in Westminster, on that journey,” said Cherie. “And in so many ways, his life was transformed in wealth, position and standing. But in one way, the Swraj who started life in India was the same as the one who breathed his last here in London.
“His character was constant, true to himself, his values and to others, those he knew intimately and those he barely knew at all, but whose lives were changed through his generosity of spirit. Swraj was a remarkable entrepreneur, philanthropist and public servant from those beginnings in India to his long service in the House of Lords. He was always striving to make the world a better place.
“He built Caparo through hard work and determination, but he never defined himself only by business success. He believed profoundly in using his good fortune for others. The loss of his beloved daughter, Ambika, shaped his lifelong philanthropy. Through his generosity, he brought hope and opportunity to children and communities across the world. We remember, especially, his contribution to our Olympics bid and his tireless efforts to improve the life of the poorest.”
Cherie concluded: “He was a proud Indian, a proud Briton, and above all, a proud servant of humanity. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, by the communities he served and by the many lives he touched.”
There was also a speaker from America where Lord Paul’s Bull Moose has extensive steel and manufacturing interests.
Jim Dankenbring, who has looked after Lord Paul’s legal affairs for 30 years and who had flown over from Missouri, accompanied by his wife, Vicky, said: “I am truly humbled and honoured to be here to speak and pay tribute to clearly the most accomplished person I ever had the pleasure of working with.”
In 1988, at the age of 57, Lord Paul had bought two relatively small companies in the US, but he was not an absentee proprietor: “Back then in the late 1980s, early 1990s, TWA airlines had daily non-stop flights to and from London, and Lord Paul took advantage of that. He began each week with a flight to St Louis, where he would land and immediately proceed to the plant. He’d roll up his sleeves, he’d work with his management team. He’d work with his plant workers, plant manager, the factory workers on the floor, and they would grow that business beyond belief.”
Lord Paul, who studied at MIT, might well have settled in the US, had it not been for Ambika’s death in England.
His visits to the US “continued up until last year,” said Dankenbring. “In fact, he would come to the States at least once a year, often times twice a year. He’d fly to Chicago, he toured the plants throughout the Midwest, and then end up his stay in St Louis, where we would meet him, greet him. We would hold meetings with the management team. He would go out on the floor, greet the factory workers. And then the best part was, in the afternoon, he would have town hall meetings, as he liked to call them, in the lunch room, with the entire team of factory workers. And they would talk, and they would ask questions, and they would laugh, and Lord Paul would impart an amazing array of wisdom and encouragement like I’ve ever seen between ownership and labour. It was incredible. I gotta add also there were great times for his sense of humour to come forth. We all know that infectious belly laugh that Lord Paul loved, and that we loved. I’m going to miss that, dearly.
“It’s that personal touch that Lord Paul brought to his team that I believe was essential in transforming what started out as a small tube company into a business that’s now one of the largest steel pipe and tubing business throughout North America, with a capacity of a million tonnes.
“The journalists here in the UK like to refer to Lord Paul as the ‘man of steel’ for two obvious reasons. Number one, obviously his success within the steel industry, but also because of his tremendous resilience despite personal hardship and tragedy. Man of steel is certainly an appropriate description of Lord Paul. But I would suggest one more label for him, based upon what I saw, and that is ‘man of the people’.”
Anjli Paul was emotional as she spoke for the family: “In the past few days, I’ve heard so many words used to describe my father: legend, dynamic, inspirational, powerhouse, man of steel, visionary. And he was all of these — and more.
Lord Paul's portrait by the memorial plaques in the Garden of Remembrance at Golders Green Crematorium
“This is the legacy he has left us. Wherever I go, I will always be known first as Lord Paul’s daughter – and that title carries honour — it’s something to be proud of and something to draw strength from. I am who I am because of him.
“When any parent passes, there is a void. However, my father was no ordinary parent. His powerful presence filled our lives completely, and now the emptiness feels almost impossible to comprehend.
“In these last few days, the sadness has been matched only by pride. Tributes have poured in from across the world, reminding us again and again what an extraordinary person he was — a man who lived life entirely on his own terms, with countless achievements that made the Indian community proud and left a lasting mark here in the UK.
“Whether you knew him well, or only met him briefly, you probably have a story — his charm and wit, his sense of humour, his refusal to tolerate nonsense, his willpower and strength. These are the qualities that endeared him to so many, and these are the reasons his memory will prevail.
“I also feel that at this stage I must mention my mother who stood beside him for 66 years — a pillar of strength and unwavering support. She enabled him to be the man we all admired, sharing in his triumphs, comforting him through challenges, and creating a home filled with love and warmth. Their partnership was a testament to devotion, resilience, and mutual respect — a foundation that shaped our family and inspired everyone who knew them. Even though she passed in 2022, her influence remains with us, and I know that in spirit, she is reunited with him now.
“I feel privileged not only to be his daughter, but also to have been by his side at the end. Truly, this is the end of an era — but his influence, his example, and his love, will never leave us.”
Three of Lord Paul’s grandsons also spoke, including the youngest, Arki, who is preparing for his A levels. He lost his father, Angad, 10 years ago.
Lord Paul delighted in playing with Arki and his elder sister, Amalia, at The Grange, his 250-acre estate in Buckinghamshire.
Arki said fondly of his grandfather: “Some of my earliest memories are all of us at The Grange, where we used to go every weekend together. One of the favourite things to do with me was to sit me on his lap on his tractor when I was still small enough to fit. He was incredibly proud of the tractor and going around the lawns looking at the trees he planted there.
“He was quite impatient when he planted apple trees. He would sneak to the very established Pink Lady and proudly present his fruit and tell us that his new trees were working. Pink Lady apples were his favourite, and he always gave me the first piece.”
On a trip in 2014 to Jalandhar, where Lord Paul was born in 1931, Arki first became aware of the regard in which his grandfather was held: “The press came everywhere with us. My sister loved the cameras, but I found myself a little shy. To me, it was simply Dada, and I didn’t understand why all of these people were around, but to the people of his hometown, he was a hero. I love that he had these two sides, but to me, he was simply my beloved, kind and thoughtful grandfather who always had time for me, and I shall miss him.”
Among those who attended the funeral were the peers Karan Bilimoria and Rami Ranger; Barry Gardiner, the Labour MP for Brent North; Yogesh Mehta, chairman of the removal firm Pickfords; Pippa Nightingale, CEO of London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust which includes Northwick Park Hospital (where Lord Paul gave a £500,000 donation to the maternity wing); and Reema and Girish Sanger, children of the hotelier Joginder Sanger, who passed away in February this year aged 82.
Also there was Lord Jitesh Gadhia, who said: “I first met Swraj Paul and his wife Aruna ji almost 36 years ago – in November 1989 – as a student, when I invited him to Cambridge University to address the India Society. He created a lasting impression with his warmth, wit and wisdom. A giant in every sense – and a true pioneer – who has inspired, and paved the way, for so many others to follow in his footsteps. Little did I anticipate that I would end up joining him in the House of Lords a few decades later. I remember fondly our many conversations over spontaneous cups of tea in Westminster over the last nine years. It was always impressive to see him make a special effort to attend until very recently, even with his growing frailty. We will miss Swraj ji deeply – but his legacy as an industrialist, philanthropist and public servant is profound – and will be felt for many generations to come.”
