Thai Royal Consort Stripped Of Title For ‘Misbehaviour And Disloyalty Against The Monarch’

Our royal drama has nothing on the Thai royal family.

Thai Royal Consort Stripped Of Title For 'Misbehaviour And Disloyalty Against The Monarch'

by Rebecca Reid |
Updated on

We've had a high-octane few months of UK royal drama, with Prince Harry admitting that he's on a different path from his brother, and Meghan Markle saying that she's 'not OK'. But if you thought that was exciting, buckle up for a considerably wilder ride, because the Thai royal family have gone far, far bigger.

Back in July, Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi was named as 'official consort' alongside the new queen of Thailand, the king's fourth wife. But, after only a few months, Wongvajirapakdi has been stripped of her titles as a punishment for 'trying to elevate herself to the same state as the queen'.

If you think this sounds like the plot of a royal melodrama then you're absolutely right – and we are obsessed with it.

Having multiple wives is traditional for the king of Thailand, but having an official consort was pretty unusual in itself, and the title hadn't been used since 1932 until it was given to Wongvajirapakdi.

We don't know all that much about the woman who was allegedly trying to elevate herself above the queen. She was born in Northern Thailand in 1985 and worked as a nurse before joining the army where she was a bodyguard, pilot, parachutist and eventually joined the royal guards. Last year she was promoted to a major general.

Thai Royal Consort Stripped Of Title For 'Misbehaviour And Disloyalty Against The Monarch'
©Getty

The statement explaining why she has been stripped of her title reads: 'Royal Noble Consort Sineenat is ungrateful and behaves in ways unbecoming of her title. She is also not content with the title bestowed upon her, doing everything to rise to the level of the queen. She lacks the understanding of the good traditions of the royal court. She displays disobedience against the king and the queen.'

While the intrigue is exciting, there is a darker aspect to the drama. It's not entirely clear what will now happen to Wongvajirapakdi, but it's probably not going to be great. In 1996, the king denounced his second wife, Sujarinee Vivacharawongse. She then fled to the United States. The king disowned the four sons he had with her.

In 2014, his third wife Srirasmi Suwadee was stripped of all her titles and banished from court while her parents were arrested and imprisoned for lese-majeste. Their son, who is 14, has been brought up by him. Her whereabouts are currently unknown.

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