Thailand: the king who married his bodyguard and made him queen

BANGKOK.-

Thailand

Three days before King Maha Vajiralongkorn, proclaimed Rama X, was officially crowned at sumptuous ceremonies scheduled for May 4-6, the Royal House of Asiatic Country announced that the monarch had married his bodyguard. .

The monarch, married and divorced three times, "officially married" with Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya, a former hostess with whom he has shared his life for several years, according to a statement released last night in the Royal Gazette. Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya becomes "now" Queen Suthida, the text added.

The ceremony was held at the Royal Palace of Dusit in Bangkok. According to the television footage, the king wore a white uniform, while Suthida wore a traditional Thai silk dress.

The court between the king and his bodyguard had been in the public eye for years, and it is thought that they met during a robbery while she was a hostess. air of the Thai Airways company. In 2013, Suthida joined the Royal Guard, and a year later Prince Vajiralongkorn appointed her deputy chief of her bodyguard corps. In December 2016, already proclaimed king after the death of his father, the venerable Bhumibol, granted him the title of general of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. In 2017, he was promoted to Deputy Commissioner of his personal guard.

In recent years, Queen Suthida has become a familiar face for Thais, allowing herself to be seen at certain official events, such as the funeral of King Bhumibol in October 2017, a year after his death.

After the affair, he will enjoy – like the rest of the royal family – the protection of the lèse-majestad law, which provides for sentences of three to fifteen years in prison for anyone who defames or insults the monarchy.

King Rama X was married for the first time in 1977 with his cousin Soamsavali Kitiyakara, with whom he had a daughter. His next wife was actress Yuvadhida Polpraserth, with whom he had up to five children, four children and a daughter, who was succeeded by Srirasmi Suwadee, mother of her youngest child, and who had divorced in 2014.

Maha Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne in December 2016 after the death of her father, Reverend Bhumibol Adulyadej, who ruled the country for 70 years. The coronation ceremonies will take place from 4 to 6 May in Bangkok.

The coronation itself will be celebrated on Saturday. On Sunday, the king will be transported over six kilometers through the historic center of Bangkok on a gold palanquin worn by soldiers. On Monday, he will appear on one of the balconies of the Grand Palace and will welcome foreign diplomats in audience.

AFP and Reuters agencies