by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014
Princess Ubol Ratana 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 Ubol Ratana has three siblings:
- King Maha Vajiralongkorn (born 1952), married (1) Soamsavali Kitiyakara, had one daughter, divorced (2) Yuvadhida Polpraserth, had five children, divorced (3) Srirasm Akharaphongpreecha, had one son, divorced (4) Suthida Tidjai
- Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (born 1955), unmarried
- Princess Chulabhorn Walailak (born 1957), married Virayudh Tishyasarin, an Air Vice Marshal in the Royal Thai Air Force, had two daughters, divorced
Following her primary and secondary schooling in Thailand, Princess Ubol Ratana 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, Ubol Ratana married American businessman Peter Ladd Jensen. The couple had met while both attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Upon her marriage, she relinquished her royal style and title. She lived in the United States with her husband for over twenty-six years and took the name Mrs. Julie Jensen.
Ubol Ratana had three children who were born and grew up in the United States:
- Ploypailin Jensen (born 1981), married David Wheeler, had two sons and one daughter
- Bhumi Jensen (1983 – 2004), killed by the Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004
- Sirikitiya Jensen (born 1985)
Ubol Ratana and her husband divorced in 1998, and in 2001, she returned to live in Thailand, resumed her royal duties and position within the Thai court. She is styled Princess Ubol Ratana, without the style Her Royal Highness.
In 2004, her son Bhumi, who had autism, was killed in the tsunami that ravaged Thailand. She subsequently established the Khun Poom Foundation in his memory. The foundation helps children with autism and other learning disabilities.
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King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s son Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, his daughter Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, his daughter Princess Bajrakitiyabha Manidol, his sister Princess Ubolratana, his sister Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and Queen Suthida, attend his enthronement in 2019
Princess Ubol Ratana 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.
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