 In 1892 , the Munshi 's name began to appear in the Court Circular among the names of officials accompanying the Queen on her annual March trip to the French Riviera . As usual , Victoria spent Christmas 1892 at Osborne House , where the Munshi , as he had in previous years , participated in tableaux vivants arranged as entertainment . The following year , during Victoria 's annual holiday in continental Europe , he was presented to King Umberto I of Italy . In the words of a contemporary newspaper account , " The King did not understand why this magnificent and imposing Hindoo should have been formally presented to him . The popular idea in Italy is that the Munshi is a captive Indian prince , who is taken about by the Queen as an outward and visible sign of Her Majesty 's supremacy in the East . " 
