Monthly Archives: September 2014

Princess Claire of Belgium

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Princess Claire of Belgium (neé Claire Louise Coombs) is the wife of Prince Laurent, the youngest child of King Albert II of Belgium and Paola Ruffo di Calabria. She was born on January 18, 1974, in Bath, England, the daughter of the British Nicholas Coombs and his Belgian wife Nicole Eva Mertens. She has an older sister Joanna, and a younger brother Matthew.

The family moved to Belgium when Claire was three years old. She completed her primary and secondary education at the Institut de la Providence, in Wavre, Belgium. She then studied as a surveyor, completing her training in 1999. She then worked for Brone & Oldenhove, a surveying firm in Wavre where she had also worked as an intern during her education.

In December 2002, the engagement of Claire Coombs and Prince Laurent was announced by the Royal Palace. The couple had first met in 2000 at the home of a mutual friend. Their marriage took place on April 12, 2003. A civil ceremony was held at Brussels Town Hall, followed by a religious ceremony at the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula in Brussels. By Royal Decree issued by the King, Claire was elevated to Princess of Belgium in her own right. Claire and Laurent live at Villa Clémentine in Tervuren, with their three children:

  • Princess Louise of Belgium (born 2004)
  • Prince Nicolas of Belgium (born 2005) – twin of Aymeric
  • Prince Aymeric of Belgium (born 2005) – twin of Nicolas

Princess Claire and her family in 2022; Credit – https://www.facebook.com/fondation.prince.stichting.prins.laurent/photos

In 2004, Princess Claire was chosen to serve as an assessor at a polling station in Tervuren during the regional and European elections. This was the first time a member of the Belgian Royal Family had taken on a position like this, and it was hailed as a sign of the modernization of the monarchy.

Unlike her two sisters-in-law, Queen Mathilde and Princess Astrid, Princess Claire has no official role. However, she is often in attendance at official events and state functions with her husband. She serves as Patron of The Brussels Choral Society and Green Spaces and Garden Arts and is the Honorary President of the Pro Renovassistance Foundation.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

October 1914: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

Deaths of High Profile Royals
Timeline: October 1, 1914 – October 31, 1914
A Note About German Titles
October 1914 – Royals Who Died In Action


Deaths of High Profile Royals

In October 1914, four high-profile royals were killed in action: a grandson of Queen Victoria; a son of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia; a nephew of Wilhelm II, German Emperor; and an uncle of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Prince Maurice of Battenberg, the grandson of Queen Victoria, has a separate article, and the other three are profiled here.

Prince Oleg Konstantinovich of Russia; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Oleg Konstantinovich of Russia was born in St. Petersburg, Russia on November 27, 1892. His father, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia, was a grandson of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. The Grand Duke was a poet, playwright, and translator and arranged for his nine children to have lessons from experts in a variety of fields in addition to their traditional education. Prince Oleg wrote poetry like his father and was thought to be the most intelligent of the nine children. He attended the prestigious Alexander Lyceum instead of receiving a military education. Just before the outbreak of World War I, Prince Oleg was engaged to his cousin Princess Nadejda Petrovna of Russia.

Shortly after the start of World War I, five of the six sons of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich were sent to the front to serve with the Imperial Guards. On October 10, 1914, Prince Oleg was wounded in an attack against the Germans in East Prussia. Unfortunately, blood poisoning set in before it was realized that Prince Oleg was seriously wounded. He was transported to Vilna (now in Lithuania) for an unsuccessful emergency operation. Before he died, Prince Oleg was able to see his parents and receive the Order of St. George from his father. On his deathbed, Prince Oleg said, “I am so happy…It will encourage the troops to know that the Imperial House is not afraid to shed its blood.” He died on October 12, 1914, at the age of 21, and at his request was buried at his father’s estate Ostashevo on the banks of the Ruza River in the Moscow countryside.

Sadly, three of Prince Oleg’s brothers, Ioann, Gavriil, and Konstantin, were executed by the Bolsheviks on July 18, 1918, at the same time as Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia (the elder sister of Empress Alexandra Feodrovna) and two additional members of the Romanov family, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, and Prince Vladimir Paley. See Unofficial Royalty: July 18, 1918 – Murder of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia.

Maximilian of Hesse

Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel; Photo Credit – www.flickr.com

Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel was born on October 20, 1894, at Schloss Rupenheim in Offenbach, Hesse (Germany). His parents were Princess Margaret of Prussia and Friedrich Karl, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse. Through his mother, Prince Maximilian was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria and a nephew of Wilhelm II, German Emperor.

Prince Maximilian was serving with the Grand Ducal Hessen Dragoons when he was severely wounded by British machine-gun fire at Saint-Jean-Chappelle, near Bailleul, France on October 13, 1914. He was taken to a Trappist monastery where the monks cared for him, but the British advanced and took control of the monastery. Prince Maximilian told a British army doctor that he was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria and asked him to send a locket to his mother which the doctor promised to do. The prince died three hours later at the age of 19 and the British army doctor died three days later. The locket was sent to the doctor’s widow who forwarded it to Queen Mary, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom. Eventually, the locket did reach Prince Maximilian’s mother.

The mayor of the town where Prince Maximilian died ordered a local carpenter to construct a coffin for the prince and he was then buried in a local cemetery. However, local people who had suffered greatly in the fighting protested the burial when they found out the prince was the Kaiser’s nephew and the prince’s remains were moved to a secret location. In 1926, King George V assisted Prince Maximilian’s family in recovering his remains.

Prince Maximilian’s older brother Prince Friedrich Wilhelm was killed in action in 1916 and a younger brother, Prince Christoph, was killed in World War II.

Prince Wolrad Friedrich of Waldeck and Pyrmont ; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Wolrad of Waldeck and Pyrmont was born on June 26, 1892, in Arolsen, Waldeck and Pyrmont (Germany). He was the only child of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his second wife Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.

Prince Wolrad was the half-brother of Queen Emma of the Netherlands, wife of King William III of the Netherlands; Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany who married Queen Victoria’s youngest son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany; and Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, last reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Therefore, the prince was the uncle of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, the reigning monarch during World War I; and the uncle of the two children of Prince Leopold: Charles Edward, the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha during World War I and Princess Alice of Albany.

Prince Wolrad was a lieutenant in Grand Ducal Hessen Dragoons. On the evening of October 17, 1914, he led a cavalry patrol near Moorslede, Belgium. The patrol came under fire from the advancing British troops. Several of the dragoons were hit and fell off their horses and Prince Wolrad’s horse was also hit. The prince and his aide reached a nearby trench, but then Prince Wolrad saw one of his men lying a short distance from the trench. The prince crawled to the wounded man and tried to pull him to safety, but was fatally hit with gunfire and died from his wounds at the age of 22.

*********************************************************

Timeline: October 1, 1914 – October 31, 1914

*********************************************************

A Note About German Titles

Most of the royals who died in action during World War I were German. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army, and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to our Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

*********************************************************

October 1914 – Royals Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or from The Peerage.  If a person has a Wikipedia page, their name will be linked to that page.

Karl, Freiherr von Vequel-Westernach

Hermann, Freiherr von Landsberg-Velen

Karl, Prinz zu Solms-Braunfels

Klemen, Freiherr von Loë

Prince Oleg Constantinovitch of Russia

Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel

Paul Maria Joseph, Graf von Hompesch-Bollheim

Wolrad Friedrich, Prinz zu Waldeck und Pyrmont

Heinrich XLVI, Prinz Reuss

Joseph Ferdinand, Prinz von Lobkowicz

  • son of Dr. Maria Ferdinand Georg August Melchior, Prinz von Lobkowicz and Ida Maria, Gräfin Podstatzky-Lichtenstein
  • born September 4, 1885 in Unterberkowic
  • 1913 married Gisela, Gräfin von Silva-Tarouca, had issue
  • killed in action at Jaroslau, Galicia (now in Poland) on October 25, 1914, age 29
  • http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00126814&tree=LEO
Maurice of Battenberg

Prince Maurice of Battenberg; Photo Credit – www.firstworldwar.com

Prince Maurice of Battenberg

Prince Laurent of Belgium

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Embed from Getty Images 

Prince Laurent of Belgium (Laurent Benoît Baudouin Marie) was born on October 16, 1963, at the Château de Belvédère in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium. He is the youngest of the three children of King Albert II of the Belgians, who abdicated in favor of his son Philippe in 2013, and his wife Queen Paola (born Paola Ruffo di Calabria).

Laurent has an older brother and an older sister:

Laurent has a half-sister from his father’s affair with Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps. After years of legal battles, on October 1, 2020, the Belgian Court of Appeal ruled that Delphine and her children are entitled to the style and title of HRH Prince/Princess of Belgium, and can use the former King’s surname of Saxe-Coburg.

  • Princess Delphine of Belgium (born 1968), married James O’Hare, an American, had two children, now styled Princess Joséphine of Belgium and Prince Oscar of Belgium

Prince Laurent began his education at (link translated from French) in Brussels where he was educated in French and then attended school in Loppem where he was educated in Dutch. In 1977, he began his studies at the (link translated from Dutch) in Antwerp and completed his studies there in 1980. Laurent then studied at the Royal Cadet School in Laeken, Brussels. He then proceeded to the Royal Military Academy where he was educated as an officer of the armed forces. Upon completion, Laurent joined the Belgian Navy as a naval trainee on a minehunter. He trained to become a diver and helicopter pilot and his highest naval rank was Captain.

In 1996, Prince Laurent founded The Prince Laurent Foundation, a Belgian non-profit organization for the welfare of domestic and wild animals. The foundation focuses on veterinary dispensaries, alternative methods to animal experimentation, equine research, and welfare, and scientific prizes and awards.

On December 19, 2002, the engagement of Prince Laurent and British-born, but Belgian-raised Claire Coombs was announced. The couple met at a mutual friend’s dinner party in 2000. Laurent was helping wash the dishes when Claire came in to lend a hand. The two barely talked and did not see each other again for two months. After their second meeting, Claire was impressed with Laurent’s generosity and sensitivity and Laurent knew Claire was right for him because of her honesty, spontaneity, and love for children.  Laurent and Claire married on April 12, 2003, at the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula in Brussels, Belgium.

photo: The Exiled Belgian Royalist

The couple had three children:

  • Princess Louise of Belgium (born 2004)
  • Prince Nicolas of Belgium (born 2005) – twin of Aymeric
  • Prince Aymeric of Belgium (born 2005) – twin of Nicolas

In 2018, the Belgian parliament cut Prince Laurent’s annual allowance by 15% for a year.  The sanction was imposed after Prince Laurent, in full naval uniform, attended a Chinese embassy reception in 2017 without government permission.  The government had warned Laurent to ask permission from the foreign ministry before conducting any diplomatic activity. Despite that, he went to the embassy event and tweeted a photo of himself there.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este; Credit https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73964267

Princess Astrid of Belgium was born on June 5, 1962, at Château de Belvédère in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium. She is the second of the three children of King Albert II of the Belgians, who abdicated in favor of his son Philippe in 2013, and his wife Queen Paola (born Paola Ruffo di Calabria). Her full name is Astrid Joséphine-Charlotte Fabrizia Elisabeth Paola Maria and she is named after her paternal grandmother Astrid of Sweden, wife of King Leopold III of the Belgians, who tragically died in a car accident at the age of 29. Her godparents were her maternal uncle Fabrizio, Prince Ruffo di Calabria-Santapau, and her paternal aunt Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg.

Princess Astrid has two brothers:

Astrid has a half-sister from her father’s affair with Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps. After years of legal battles, on October 1, 2020, the Belgian Court of Appeal ruled that Delphine and her children are entitled to the style and title of HRH Prince/Princess of Belgium, and can use the former King’s surname of Saxe-Coburg.

  • Princess Delphine of Belgium (born 1968), married James O’Hare, an American, had two children, now styled Princess Joséphine of Belgium and Prince Oscar of Belgium

After completing her primary and secondary education in Brussels, Astrid studied art history for a year at Leiden University in the Netherlands before continuing her art history studies at the Institute of European Studies in Geneva, Switzerland, and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States.

On May 13, 1984, the engagement of Princess Astrid and Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este was announced. Lorenz is the eldest son of Archduke Robert of Austria-Este, the second son of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria and has been Head of the House of Austria-Este since 1996.

 

The couple was married on September 22, 1984, at the Church of Notre-Dame au Sablon in Brussels, Belgium.

Initially, Astrid’s children were not in the line of succession to the Belgian throne, as Belgium followed male-only primogeniture. They were born as Archdukes and Archduchess of Austria-Este. However, the laws were changed in 1991, and Astrid and their children were added to the line of succession. Their children were also granted the title of Prince/Princess of Belgium. In 1995, Astrid’s husband Lorenz was created Prince of Belgium in his own right.

Astrid and Lorenz had five children:

  • Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este (born 1986), married Elisabetta “Lili” Maria Rosboch von Wolkenstein, had two daughters and one son
  • Princess Maria Laura of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 1988), married William Isvy
  • Prince Joachim of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este (1991)
  • Princess Luisa Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 1995)
  • Princess Laetitia Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 2003)

Embed from Getty Images

Princess Astrid represents her brother King Philippe on foreign visits and gives her services to many organizations including:

Astrid_lorenz

Princess Astrid and her husband; photo: Zimbio

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Chulabhorn Walailak of Thailand

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Chulabhorn Walailak of Thailand; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Chulabhorn Walailak of Thailand is the youngest child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Sirikit Kitiyakara. She was born on July 4, 1957, in Bangkok. The princess has three older siblings:

Princess Chulabhorn attended the Chitralada School in the Dusit Palace complex. Following her secondary education, she attended Kasetart University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Organic Chemistry in 1979. She continued her studies in organic chemistry at Mahidol University, receiving her doctorate in 1985.

In 1982, Princess Chulabhorn married Virayudh Tishyasarin, an Air Vice Marshal in the Royal Thai Air Force. With permission from her father, she retained her royal title and style. The marriage ended in divorce two years later. They had two daughters:

In 1987, Princess Chulabhorn established the Chulabhorn Research Institute where she serves as president. A recipient of the UNESCO Einstein Award in 1986, she is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom. In addition to her scientific and educational work, the princess is a classically trained musician.

photo: Chulabhorn Hospital

Princess Chulabhorn; photo: Chulabhorn Hospital

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand was born at the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall, Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand on April 2, 1955, the third of four children of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Sirikit Kitiyakara. She has three siblings:

Princess Sirindhorn completed her primary and secondary education at the exclusive Chitralada School, established for the children of the Thai royal family. She then attended Chulalongkorn University, earning a bachelor’s degree in history in 1976. After that, she enrolled in two Master’s programs concurrently, earning a master’s degree in Oriental Epigraphy in 1979 from Silpakorn University, and another in Oriental Languages from Chulalongkorn University in 1980. She later received a doctorate in Educational Development in 1986 from Srinakharinwirot University.

Princess Sirindhorn greeting Crown Princess Masako of Japan at the Dutch enthronement, 2013. photo: Zimbio

Princess Sirindhorn greeting Crown Princess Masako of Japan at the Dutch enthronement, 2013. photo: Zimbio

The Princess is a professor and Head of the History Department at the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, in addition to many royal duties and visits on behalf of the King. Princess Sirindhorn is perhaps more widely known throughout the world than her brother and sisters, as she has for many years represented her father at events outside of Thailand. She often represents the Thai Royal Family at other royal events, such as the enthronement ceremonies for King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (along with her brother).

Embed from Getty Images 
King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s son Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, daughter Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, daughter Princess Bajrakitiyabha Manidol, sister Princess Ubolratana, sister Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Queen Suthida attend his coronation in 2019

The princess is also active in charitable causes. She serves as Executive Vice President of the Thai Red Cross Society, and Executive Chairman of the Chaipattana Foundation (in charge of His Majesty the King’s development and environmental conservation projects), the Anandha Mahidol Foundation (to promote higher education), and the King Rama II Foundation (to conserve and promote Thai culture). In addition, she serves as President of the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation (to provide international recognition to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the fields of medicine and public health). She has also founded the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Charity Fund with aims to support projects that improve people’s life conditions including programs that relieve those suffering from catastrophe.

Princess Sirindhorn with her parents, 2012. photo: Bangkok Post

Princess Sirindhorn with her parents, 2012. photo: Bangkok Post

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Srirasm Suwadi, the former Princess Srirasm of Thailand

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

photo: Zimbio

Photo: Zimbio

Srirasm Suwadi, the former Princess Srirasm of Thailand, was the third wife of Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, the son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Sirikit Kitiyakara, and now King of Thailand. She was born Srirasm Akharapongpreecha on December 9, 1971, the third of five children of Aphirut and Wanthanee Akharaphongpreecha. Following her primary education, she attended the Bangkok Business College. In 1993, she became a lady-in-waiting in the Crown Prince’s household. She later graduated from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Management Science, and Kasetsart University in 2007 with a master’s degree in Home Economics.

Srirasm and the Crown Prince were married on February 10, 2001, at the Nonthaburi Palace. Their marriage was not announced until early 2005 when Srirasm was pregnant with the couple’s only son. After his birth, she was elevated to Princess of Thailand.

Following her son’s birth, she founded the “Sai Yai Rak Jak Mae Su Luk” (Love and care from mother to children) campaign. This organization promotes breastfeeding and healthy upbringing of children. She was often seen at official events along with her husband, both within Thailand as well as representing the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at events elsewhere in the world.

 

On December 10, 2014, the couple divorced.  Two days later, Srirasm relinquished her royal titles and the Thai royal palace released this statement: “Princess Srirasmi, wife of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn… has written to respectfully resign from her status in the royal family and permission has been granted by His Majesty the King.”

After Srirasmi’s divorce, her parents were arrested for lèse-majesté, a French term meaning “to do wrong to majesty”, is an offense against the dignity of a reigning sovereign Thailand’s criminal code has carried a prohibition against lèse-majesté since 1908. Srirasmi’s parents later admitted to misusing their royal connection twelve years earlier which led to a former neighbor being jailed on bogus fraud charges. Both were sentenced to five years in prison, which was reduced to two and a half years.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand; Credit – Wikipedia

King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand was born on July 28, 1952, in the Ambara Villa of the Royal Dusit Palace, Bangkok, the second child and only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Sirikit Kitiyakara. He was named Crown Prince and heir to the throne on December 28, 1972.

Vajiralongkorn has three sisters:

Following his primary education in Bangkok, he attended King’s Mead School and Millfield School, both in England, and The King’s School and Royal Military College, Duntroon, both in Australia. He later earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from the Sukhothai Thammatirat University in Bangkok. He has served in the Thai military forces since 1975 and holds the ranks of General in the Royal Thai Army, Admiral in the Royal Thai Navy, and Air Chief Marshal in the Royal Thai Air Force.

Vajiralongkorn has been married four times. His first wife Soamsavali Kitiyakara was a first cousin on his mother’s side. They were married on January 3, 1977, and divorced in 1993. After their divorce, Princess Soamsavali Kitiyakara retained her title as princess and remained a member of the Thai royal family. They had one daughter:

Shortly after his first marriage, the crown prince began living with Yuvadhida Polpraserth, a Thai actress. They had four sons and one daughter.

  • Juthavachara Vivacharawongse (born 1979)
  • Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse  (born 1981)
  • Chakriwat Vivacharawongse (born 1983)
  • Vatcharawee Vivacharawongse (born 1985)
  • Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana (born 1987)

They eventually married in February 1994, and she took the name Sujarinee Mahidol na Ayudhaya. However, in 1996, she fled to the United Kingdom with her children. The Crown Prince accused her of adultery and managed to retrieve their daughter and bring her back to Thailand. Sujarinee and the couple’s sons were stripped of their royal titles and the couple’s marriage was dissolved. Known as Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, she moved with her sons to the United States.

Then, on February 10, 2001, Vajiralongkorn married for a third time, to Srirasm Akharaphongpreecha, at the Nonthaburi Palace. Srirasm had served as a lady-in-waiting in the Prince’s household since 1993. The marriage was not made public until 2005, just a few months before their son was born. At the time of his birth, Srirasm was elevated to Princess of Thailand.

The couple divorced on December 10, 2014. Two days later, Srirasm relinquished her royal titles and the Thai royal palace released this statement: “Princess Srirasmi, wife of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn… has written to respectfully resign from her status in the royal family and permission has been granted by His Majesty the King.”

 

On May 1, 2019, just days before his coronation ceremonies, King Vajiralongkorn married Suthida Tidjai at the Amphorn Sathan Residencial Hall in Bangkok. Suthida had been a flight attendant for Thai Airways, and in 2016, was appointed a Commander in the King’s Guard and promoted to the rank of General of the Royal Thai Army.

King Vajralongkorn and Queen Suthida. source: Daily Mail

Upon his father’s death on October 13, 2016, it was announced that Vajiralongkorn would be proclaimed King of Thailand following a period of personal mourning. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn did not want to be immediately named king to give the nation time to mourn his father’s death. He was proclaimed King of Thailand on December 1, 2016.  Coronation ceremonies for King Vajiralongkorn were held May 4 – May 6, 2019.

Major General Niramon Ounprom; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 28, 2019, King Maha Vajiralongkorn bestowed the title of Royal Noble Consort and the royal name of Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi to Major General Niramon Ounprom. Three months later a palace order was issued stating that Sineenat had been disrespectful to Queen Suthida and disloyal to the king stripped her of her title and ranks.  Sineenat’s titles were restored on September 2, 2020, with a royal edict stating that she “is not tarnished” and “Henceforth, it will be as if she had never been stripped of her military ranks or royal decorations.”

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya of Thailand

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Embed from Getty Images 

Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi of Thailand was born on April 5, 1951, in Lausanne, Switzerland. She is the eldest child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and Sirikit Kitiyakara.

Princess Ubolratana has three siblings:

Following her primary and secondary schooling in Thailand, Princess Ubolratana attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), graduating in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. She later earned her master’s degree in Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

On July 25, 1972, she married American businessman Peter Ladd Jensen. The couple had met while both attending MIT. Upon her marriage, she relinquished her royal style and title. They had three children who were born and grew up in the United States:

Ubolratana and her husband divorced in 1998, and in 2001 she returned to live in Thailand. In 2004, her son Bhumi, who had autism, was killed in the tsunami which ravaged Thailand. She subsequently established the Khun Poom Foundation in his memory. The foundation helps children with autism and other learning disabilities.

Embed from Getty Images
King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s son Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, daughter Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, daughter Princess Bajrakitiyabha Manidol, sister Princess Ubolratana, sister Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Queen Suthida attend his enthronement in 2019

Princess Ubolratana is often seen at official ceremonies and events with her family. An aspiring actress, she has appeared in two Thai movies – Where The Miracles Happen in 2008, and My Best Bodyguard in 2010.

 

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Estelle of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Estelle of Sweden, 2023; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland was born on February 23, 2012, at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Sweden. She is the eldest child of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel (born Daniel Westling), and is second in the line of succession to the Swedish throne, after her mother.

Princess Estelle with her mother Crown Princess Victoria and her grandfather King Carl XVI Gustaf; Credit – Photo: Thron Ullberg/The Royal Court of Sweden, 2022

In 1979, the Riksdag, the Swedish legislature, introduced an Act of Succession that changed the succession to absolute primogeniture, meaning that the eldest child of the monarch, regardless of gender, is first in the line of succession. This Act of Succession became law on January 1, 1980, making Sweden the first country to adopt absolute primogeniture. The previous 1810 Act of Succession allowed for only males to inherit the throne. Even after the birth of her brother Prince Oscar, Princess Estelle retains her place in the line of succession as the eldest child of Crown Princess Victoria who is the eldest child and heir of King Carl XVI Gustaf. This means that it is expected that the next two Swedish monarchs will be Victoria followed by her daughter Estelle. Sweden has had only three Queens Regnant: Margaret (1389-1412), Christina (1632-1654), and Ulrika Eleanora (1718-1720)

Estelle_christening

Princess Estelle is christened as her parents and grandfather look on; Photo: Swedish Royal Court 

Princess Estelle was christened in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace of Stockholm on May 22, 2012. Her godparents were:

She was given the names Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary.

Estelle: possibly for Countess Estelle Bernadotte (1904–1984), the American wife of Count Folke Bernadotte; when King Carl Gustaf announced his granddaughter’s names, he said that the name Estelle is very close to the heart of her mother and also the family
Silvia: for her maternal grandmother
Ewa: for her paternal grandmother
Mary: for her godmother Crown Princess Mary of Denmark

Princess Estelle’s family, 2022

Estelle has one younger brother:

On August 25, 2014, Princess Estelle started preschool at Äventyret Preschool in Danderyd Municipality, Stockholm. Äventyret Preschool was founded in 1992 and uses the Ur & Skur outdoor teaching methods to teach children about nature and to convey a sense of the natural world. In October 2016, Estelle started to attend Lilla Kvikkjokk, a Montessori school in the Djurgården section of Stockholm. Princess Estelle has been attending Campus Manilla, an independent primary and secondary school, in the Djurgården section in Stockholm since August 2018.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.