The king and lie: Thai ruler's consort lays at his feet as he marries the former flight attendant in surprise move days before his coronation
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6980853/Thai-king-marries-long-term-consort-just-days-coronation.html
King Maha was born on July 24, 1952 in Bangkok's Royal Dusit Palace. As an adolescent he studied at two public schools in Britain
Former flight attendant Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya married Thai king
King Maha Vajiralongkorn is due to be crowned 10th monarch of Chakri dynasty
Coronation will take place in elaborate three-day ceremony starting Saturday
Former flight attendant Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya married Thai king
King Maha Vajiralongkorn is due to be crowned 10th monarch of Chakri dynasty
Coronation will take place in elaborate three-day ceremony starting Saturday
Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn has married his long-term consort Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya, pictured during the ceremony at the Ampornsan Throne Hall in Bangkok, just days before his coronation
Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya, newly named Queen Suthida, prays at the feet of her husband during the ceremony
The marriage took place ahead of this weekend's coronation, which will be the first since Vajiralongkorn's late father's nearly 70 years ago
Queen Suthida signs marriage license documents during the royal marriage registration ceremony while a member of the royal court lay at the King's feet
Thai royal traditions dictate that the ruling king is to be regarded as god-like and semi-divine, and as a result, he must sit higher than everyone else, to the point that, during official ceremonies and speeches, his feet should be elevated above everyone else's heads.
During the ceremony, once the royal couple is seated, the bride is able to sit alongside her husband - as Queen Suthida is shown doing in images from the wedding.
However others taking part in the wedding must continue to lay before the King, as one member of the royal court is seen doing while the queen signed her marriage license.
Long seen trailing the King in public events as part of his personal security retinue, Suthida was given the rank of 'general' in 2017.
The unpredictable royal is due to be crowned the 10th monarch of the Chakri dynasty in an elaborate three-day ceremony starting Saturday.
Why did King Maha Vajiralongkorn's bride have to lay at his feet?
According to royal tradition in Thailand, the ruling monarch is seen as god-like and semi-divine, and is revered as such among his subjects.
As a result, the King must always be seated higher than everyone else, and during official ceremonies, events, and speeches, the monarch's feet are supposed to be above the heads of those around him.
Tradition also dictates that guests at the Thai Royal Palace are required to approach the King and Queen crawling on their hands and knees; this custom was even observed while King Maha Vajiralongkorn's father, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, sat on the throne, despite the fact that he was known to his people as a kind and humble ruler.
It is therefore viewed as a sign of great respect for the bride to lie at the feet of the King, before being invited to sit by his side during the marriage ceremony, when she was given the official title of Queen Suthida.
Moving forward, it will likely be expected that other members of the royal court, as well as visiting guests, will approach the royal couple in a similar manner, as one aide was seen doing during the wedding ceremony, lying before the King and his Queen while the bride signed the marriage license.
Thailand's lese majeste laws also make it illegal to defame, threaten, or even insult 'the king, the queen, the heir-apparent or the regent'. Article 112 of the country's criminal code dictates that anyone found guilty of this crime can be punished with between three and 15 years of jail time.
Vajiralongkorn, who has been married three times, is due to be crowned the 10th monarch of the Chakri dynasty in an elaborate three-day ceremony starting Saturday
Vajiralongkorn, who has been married three times, has spent much of his time in Germany.
Harsh lese-majeste laws have shielded public scrutiny of his colourful private life, and all media in Thailand must self-censor.
This weekend's coronation will be the first since Vajiralongkorn's late father's nearly 70 years ago.
It was not immediately clear what role Queen Suthida will play in the ceremony.
Thailand's new king is well known for his eccentricity.
In 2016, he was spotted wearing a tight, white crop top, his body adorned with temporary tattoos and holding a white fluffy poodle, while standing next to his consort.
A father-of-seven, he has three failed marriages, a love of fast jets and a reputation for having an explosive temper.
During an attempted coup in Thailand in 2014, a film was published online of his third wife dressed in nothing but a black G-string while she sang happy birthday to the royal couple's beloved pet poodle, Fufu.
The King's mother, Queen Sirikit (pictured) has previously described her son as a 'Don Juan' and womaniser
Vajiralongkorn's late father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was crowned nearly 70 years ago and his son is set to succeed him
n 2009, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra spoke of his doubts about the then-Prince's suitability for the role of king.
In 2007, footage published online showed the king throwing a party for his pet poodle - who held the rank of Air Chief Marshall - at the Royal Palace in Bangkok.
Princess Srirasmi, who sang happy birthday to the dog topless, also got on her knees and ate from a dog bowl in the same video.
The relationship between the King and his new Queen has been compared to the famous musical The King and I.
The play follows strong-willed, widowed schoolteacher Anna Leonowens, who arrives in Bangkok at the request of the King of Siam to tutor his children.
Romantic feelings later blossom between the King and tutor.
Who is the playboy prince that became king? Thai monarch has spent most of his life overseas and been married three times before
King Maha was born on July 24, 1952 in Bangkok's Royal Dusit Palace, the 64-year-old is the only son and male heir of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit.
As an adolescent he studied at two public schools in Britain, including King's Mead School, Seaford, Sussex, and then at Millfield School, Somerset. After, he embarked on a military career, training in Australia.
In 1976, he graduated as a newly commissioned lieutenant with a liberal arts bachelors degree from the University of New South Wales.
After graduating he started a career in the military training with US, British and Australian armed forces. He also qualified as a a fixed wing helicopter pilot in the late 1970s in the Royal Thai Army.
His military career was interrupted in 1978 so he could be ordained for a season as a Buddhist monk, as is customary for all Thai Buddhist men.
He married his first wife in 1977, a cousin, Princess Soamsavali Kitiyakara, with whom he has a daughter, Princess Bajrakitiyabha in 1978. They divorced in 1993.
Nine months after his daughter was born, the prince had a son with actress Yuvadhida Polpraserth, with whom he went on to have a total of five children and a tumultuous relationship.
Three years later his relationship broke down with Ms Polpraserth as she fled to the UK in 1996, after a spectacular bust up.
In 2001 he wed his third wife Srirasmi Suwadee, describing her as a 'modest and patient' woman who 'never says bad things towards anyone' and like his previous relationships there were to be a number of controversies in their time together.
In 2007, footage published online showed the couple throwing a party for his pet poodle - who held the rank of Air Chief Marshall - at the Royal Palace in Bangkok. Princess Srirasmi, a former waitress, who sang happy birthday to the dog topless, also got on her knees and ate from a dog bowl in the same video
In 2001 he wed his third wife Srirasmi Suwadee (pictured with their son Dipangkom Rasmijoti), describing her as a 'modest and patient' woman who 'never says bad things towards anyone'
In late 2014, Srirasmi suffered a very public fall from grace when several members of her family were arrested as part of a police corruption probe and charged with lese majeste (treason).
Vajiralongkorn later divorced her and she lost her royal titles . The crown prince has spent much of his time away from the public eye, but in recent years he has stepped in at some official ceremonies as his father's health declined.
Despite holding a number of military titles, including Knight of the Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems, the prince admitted to an interviewer he was unable to tie his own shoe laces aged 12 because courtiers had always done it for him.
The crown prince has spent much of his time away from the public eye, living overseas in Germany, but in recent years he has stepped in at some official ceremonies as his father's health declined.
In August 2015 he led key figures of the current junta and thousands of others in a mass bike ride through Bangkok, a rare high-profile appearance.
He was drafted in as King in October 2016, 50 days after the death of his father, the highly revered Bhumibol Adulyadej. He had to fly back from Germany after learning of his father's deteriorating health in the days before.
Thai junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha announced that the Crown Prince would ascend the throne with tthe statement: 'The government will inform the National Legislative Assembly that His Majesty the King appointed his heir on Dec. 28, 1972.'
However, in a shock move he requested to delay his coronation and ascension to the throne for a year to mourn the passing of his father.
Vajiralongkorn photos
https://www.google.com/search?hs=vde&q=Vajiralongkorn+photos&tbm=isch&source=univ&client=opera&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjXheKXm_vhAhXcAxAIHQwbA0AQsAR6BAgIEAE&biw=1880&bih=939
HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun
http://www.thaiembassy.org/amman/en/information/6766
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun
http://www.thaiembassy.org/amman/en/information/6766/74506-The-Invitation-for-the-Ascension-of-the-Heir-to-th.html
Maha Vajiralongkorn
https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/maha-vajiralongkorn?family=editorial&sort=mostpopular&phrase=maha%20vajiralongkorn&page=1&recency=anydate&suppressfamilycorrection=true
Thailand announces new queen three days before coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3008469/thailand-announces-new-queen-three-days-coronation-king
Queen Suthida served in the special unit of the King’s Guard and was a former flight attendant with Thai Airways
Vajiralongkorn has married her ‘legally and according to tradition’, according to a royal decree
Thailand on Wednesday announced it would have a new queen, three days before the coronation ceremony for King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
The new royal is General Suthida Vajiralongkorn, whom the king wedded at the Dusit Palace on Wednesday “legally and according to tradition”, according to a royal decree
Both signed a marriage certificate in front of high-level guests including his sister Princess Sirindhorn and the head of the privy council General Prem Tinsulanonda.
The princess and the senior statesman also signed the marriage certificate as witnesses to the ceremony. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was also present.
Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn revokes royal decorations of ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
A few hours after the ceremony, a royal decree was issued and local television channels reported the ceremony.
Queen Suthida is 40 years old and served in the special unit of the King’s Guard. She used to be a flight attendant at Thai Airways.
Since Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne in 2016 after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Suthida has been seen alongside the ruler on various formal occasions, wearing a white army uniform.
However, her relationship with Vajiralongkorn had never been formally announced.
The 66-year-old ruler had been married three times before, divorcing his third wife, Princess Srirasmi, in 2014 after 13 years of marriage. The couple have a son and the king has other children from his previous marriages.
Their split came after several of Srirasmi’s relatives were arrested in a high-profile corruption scandal.
Queen Suthida first received a royally-bestowed decoration in 2012 while she was serving in the crown prince’s guard regiment as a lieutenant colonel. An order issued by the office of the prime minister noted her “serving Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn well, with honesty, loyalty, responsibility in the given assignment”.
Second Future Forward leader questioned by Thai authorities, ramping up concerns of attack on Democratic Front
Six orders were issued by the office of the prime minister in 2013 to elevate the ranks of Queen Suthida. She was promoted as an army major general by the end of 2013. In August 2016, she was named the lieutenant general before being given the rank of of an army general months later.
Vajiralongkorn’s coronation, an elaborate event, will begin on Saturday and last until Monday. Some 200,000 people from all parts of Thailand are expected to attend the event in Bangkok’s old quarter of Rattanakosin Island.
The royal decree announcing Suthida as queen came ahead of the scheduled naming ceremony of royal titles set for May 5.
The official results of the March 24 general election are then expected to be announced next Thursday, May 9.
Making a monarch: portraits of Thailand’s king flood country ahead of coronation
King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s portrait has been in place at many state offices since he ascended the throne in 2016
But imposing new images, some several-metres high, are mandatory ahead of his three-day coronation, which begins on Saturday
Forget the junta: does King Vajiralongkorn hold all the cards in Thai politics?
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2186389/forget-junta-does-king-vajiralongkorn-hold-all-cards-thai
The monarch’s veto of his sister’s bid to become prime minister is a sign of who holds the cards in Thai politics
But it is unclear whether he is using them to influence the ruling junta – or stacking his deck against them
THE THAI DRAMA lasted ostensibly less than a day. But the shock waves of the February 8 political earthquake triggered by Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya’s abortive prime ministerial candidacy – vetoed by her younger brother King Maha Vajiralongkorn within hours – are still being felt as the Thai public grapples with the meaning of that moment.
The motivation behind the monarch’s edict remains opaque, as do its consequences. Some say his decision was more a rebuke than a reminder, while others hint that he could be pulling the ruling junta’s strings – or stacking his deck against them.
Never since the end of absolute monarchic rule in 1932 had members of the ruling Chakri dynasty fashioned themselves as politicians.
For good reason, too.
In the decades since that shift, politics in the kingdom had barrelled from stand-off to stand-off, with the military staging 19 coups, 12 of which were successful. Of the Southeast Asian country’s 29 prime ministers in that period, 12 had been from the military.
H.M. King Maha Vajiralongkorn
https://thaiembdc.org/h-m-king-maha-vajiralongkorn/
พระปรมาภิไธยสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัว รัชกาลที่ 10 สมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัวมหาวชิราลงกรณ บดินทรเทพยวรางกูร
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun
Chakri dynasty
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakri_dynasty
The Chakri dynasty (Thai: ราชวงศ์จักรี; RTGS: Ratchawong Chakkri, Thai pronunciation: [râ:t.tɕʰá.woŋ.tɕàk.kri:], Pronunciation) is the current ruling royal house of the Kingdom of Thailand, while the Head of the house is the monarch. The dynasty has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Rattanakosin Era and the city of Bangkok in 1782 following the end of King Taksin of Thonburi's reign, when the capital of Siam shifted to Bangkok. The royal house was founded by King Rama I, an Ayutthaya military leader of Sino-Mon descent.
Prior to the founding of the dynasty, King Rama I held for years the title Chakri, the title of the civil chancellor. In founding the dynasty, King Rama I himself chose "Chakri" as the name for the dynasty. The emblem of the dynasty is composed of the discus (Chakra) and the trident (Trisula), the celestial weapons of god Vishnu and Shiva, whom the Thai sovereign is seen as an incarnation.
The current head of the house is King Maha Vajiralongkorn who was proclaimed king on 1 December 2016, but has actually reigned with retroactive effect since 13 October 2016 after the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The house's current dynastic seat is the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
Vajiralongkorn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajiralongkorn
Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun (Thai: มหาวชิราลงกรณ บดินทรเทพยวรางกูร, RTGS: Mahawachiralongkon Bodinthrathepphayawarangkun, pronounced [māhǎːwát͡ɕʰírāːlōŋkɔ̄ːn bɔ̄ːdīntʰrátʰêːppʰājáwárāːŋkūːn] (About this soundlisten); born 28 July 1952) is the King of Thailand since 2016. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his father's death on 13 October 2016, he was expected to accede to the throne of Thailand but asked for time to mourn before taking the throne.
He accepted the throne on the night of 1 December 2016. His father was cremated on 26 October 2017. His formal coronation will take place from 4–6 May 2019. The Thai government retroactively declared his reign to have begun on 13 October 2016, upon his father's death. As the tenth monarch of the Chakri dynasty, he is also styled as Rama X. Aged 64 at that time, Vajiralongkorn became the oldest Thai monarch to ascend to the throne.
On 3 January 1977, Vajiralongkorn married Princess Soamsawali Kitiyakara (born 1957), a first cousin on his mother's side. They had one daughter, Princess Bajrakitiyabha, born in 1978. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn started living with actress Yuvadhida Polpraserth in the late-1970s and had five children with her. Although Princess Soamsawali had refused divorce for many years, Vajiralongkorn was finally able to sue for divorce in the Family Court in January 1993. In the court proceedings, Vajiralongkorn accused Princess Soamsawali of being completely at fault for the failed relationship. She was not able to refute the charges due to the prohibition against lèse majesté. The divorce was finalized in July 1993. Princess Soamsawali and her daughter continue to play a significant role in royal ceremonies.
Soamsawali
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soamsawali
Bajrakitiyabha
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajrakitiyabha
When Vajiralongkorn was introduced to Yuvadhida Polpraserth, she was an aspiring actress. She became his steady companion and gave birth to his first son, Prince Juthavachara Mahidol, on 29 August 1979. He later had three more sons and a daughter by her. They were married at a palace ceremony in February 1994, where they were blessed by the King and the Princess Mother, but not by the Queen. After the marriage, she was allowed to change her name to Mom Sujarinee Mahidol na Ayudhaya, signifying she was a commoner married to royalty. She was also commissioned as a major in the Royal Thai Army and took part in royal ceremonies with Vajiralongkorn. In 1996, two years after the wedding, Mom Sujarinee (as she was now known) decamped to Britain with all her children, while Vajiralongkorn caused posters to be placed all around his palace accusing her of committing adultery with Anand Rotsamkhan, a 60-year-old air marshal. Later, the prince abducted the daughter and brought her back to Thailand to live with him. She was later elevated to the rank of princess, whilst Sujarinee and her sons were stripped of their diplomatic passports and royal titles. Sujarinee and her sons moved to the United States, and as of 2007, she was known as Sujarinee Vivacharawongse.
Vajiralongkorn married a third time on 10 February 2001, to Srirasmi Suwadee (royal name: Akharaphongpreecha), a commoner of modest background who had been in his service since 1992. The marriage was not disclosed to the public until early 2005. She gave birth to a son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, on 29 April 2005 and was then elevated to the rank of princess. Her son was immediately elevated to the rank of prince. In a magazine interview, Vajiralongkorn stated his intention to settle down.
In November 2014, however, Vajiralongkorn sent a letter to the interior ministry asking for Princess Srirasmi's family to be stripped of the royal name Akharaphongpreecha awarded to her, following allegations of corruption against seven of her relatives. The following month, Srirasmi relinquished her royal titles and the royal name and was officially divorced from Vajiralongkorn. She received 200 million baht (US$5.5 million) as a settlement. They had been married for 13 years.
When Vajiralongkorn was introduced to Yuvadhida Polpraserth, she was an aspiring actress. She became his steady companion and gave birth to four sons and a daughter:
Prince Juthavachara Mahidol (จุฑาวัชร มหิดล Chuthawat Mahidon, born 29 August 1979), married Riya Gough on 1 September 2013.
Prince Vacharaesorn Mahidol (วัชรเรศร มหิดล Watchareson Mahidon, born 27 May 1981)
Prince Chakriwat Mahidol (จักรีวัชร มหิดล Chakkriwat Mahidon, born 26 February 1983)
Prince Vatcharawee Mahidol (วัชรวีร์ มหิดล Watcharawi Mahidon, born 14 June 1985)
Princess Busyanambejra Mahidol (บุษย์น้ำเพชร มหิดล Butnamphet Mahidon, born 8 January 1987)
They were married at a palace ceremony in February 1994, where they were blessed by the King and the Princess Mother, but not by the Queen. After the marriage, she was allowed to change her name to Mom Sujarinee Mahidol na Ayudhya (หม่อมสุจาริณี มหิดล ณ อยุธยา), signifying she was a commoner married to a royal. She was also commissioned as a major in the Royal Thai Army and took part in royal ceremonies with Vajiralongkorn. When she fled to Britain in 1996 with their children, Vajiralongkorn had posters placed around his palace accusing her of committing adultery with Anand Rotsamkhan (อนันต์ รอดสำคัญ), a 60-year-old air marshal.
Sujarinee, together with her children, moved to England in 1996. While she and her sons are reportedly banished from Thailand, her only daughter, Princess Busyanambejra (later changed to HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana) returned to Thailand to live with Vajiralongkorn. Sujarinee and her sons have since moved to the United States
Srirasmi Suwadee
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srirasmi_Suwadee
Dipangkorn Rasmijoti
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipangkorn_Rasmijoti
Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti (born 29 April 2005; Thai: ทีปังกรรัศมีโชติ; RTGS: Thipangkon Ratsamichot; Thai pronunciation: [tʰiːpaŋkɔːn rátsàmǐːtɕʰôːt]) is a member of the country's Chakri dynasty and heir presumptive to the throne of Thailand
He is the fifth son and seventh and youngest child of King Vajiralongkorn
On 1 May 2019, Vajiralongkorn married a fourth time to Suthida, former acting commander of Royal Thai Aide-de-Camp Department, 3 days before his coronation