Saovabha Phongsri

Sri Bajarindra (Thai: ศรีพัชรินทรา; RTGS: Si Phatcharinthra; 1 January 1864 – 20 October 1919) – also known as Saovabha Phongsri (Thai: เสาวภาผ่องศรี; RTGS: Saowapha Phongsi (Pronunciation)) – was an agnatic half-sister and consort of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) of Thailand,[1] and mother of both King Vajiravudh [2](Rama VI) and King Prajadhipok (Rama VII).[3] As in accordance with Thai royal tradition, King Vajiravudh later bestowed on his mother the title of "Queen Mother Sri Bajrindra".[4]

Sri Bajarindra
Queen consort of Siam
Tenure1878 – 23 October 1910
Born(1864-01-01)1 January 1864
Grand Palace, Bangkok, Siam
Died20 October 1919(1919-10-20) (aged 55)
Grand Palace, Bangkok, Siam
SpouseChulalongkorn (Rama V)
IssueBahurada Manimaya
Vajiravudh (Rama VI)
Tribejrutama Dhamrong
Chakrabongse Bhuvanath
Siriraj Kakudhabhand
Asdang Dejavudh
Chudadhuj Dharadilok
Prajadhipok (Rama VII)
HouseChakri Dynasty
FatherMongkut (Rama IV)
MotherPiam Sucharitakul

Life

Saovabha was born as a Princess of Siam to Mongkut (or Rama IV) and Piyamavadi.[5] She was the youngest sister of the future Queen Sunandha Kumariratana and Queen Savang Vadhana. Saovabha became the consort of her half brother King Chulalongkorn sometime in 1878. She gave him 9 children, 5 would survive to adulthood (one died in infancy), two would eventually become King of Siam.

In 1897, Queen Saovabha became the first female Regent of Siam, when her husband went on a tour of Europe. When he returned he bestowed upon her the title of "Somdet Phra Nang Chao Saowapha Phongsi Praborommarachininat" (RTGS) (Thai: สมเด็จพระนางเจ้าเสาวภาผ่องศรี พระบรมราชินีนาถ) (roughly equivalent to H.M. the Queen Regent). During her time as queen she took many interests especially in the issues concerning women. In 1904 she established one of the first schools for girls in Siam; the Rajini School or Queen's School in Bangkok.

When she died in 1919 at the age of 57, she was given a grand royal funeral, attended by all members of the Siamese Royal Family, and the ceremony was presided over by her son King Vajiravudh. She played a prominent posthumous role in the 1924 Palace Law of Succession, in which her son King Vajiravudh stipulated that her children would take precedence among all others over the line of succession. This guaranteed the accession of her youngest son Prince Prajadhipok to the throne in 1925, despite there being more senior and learned sons of Chulalongkorn.

The Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute was named after her.

Children

She had 9 children with King Chulalongkorn:

NameBirthDeathSpouseChildren
Bahurada Manimaya, Princess Debanariratana19 December 187827 August 1887
Vajiravudh, King Rama VI1 January 188025 November 1925Prueng SucharitakulNone
Princess Vannabimol VaravanNone
Prabai SucharitakulNone
Khrueakaeo AbhayavongsaPrincess Bejaratana Rajasuda
Tribejrutama Dhamrong8 February 188122 November 1887
Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, Prince of Phitsanulok3 March 188313 June 1920Ekaterina Ivanovna DesnitskayaPrince Chula Chakrabongse
Princess Javalit Obhas RabibadhanaNone
Siriraj Kakudhabhand27 November 18853 May 1887
unnamed princess13 December 1884
Asdang Dejavudh, Prince of Nakhon Rajasima12 May 18899 February 1924Paew SuddhiburanaNone
Chudadhuj Dharadilok, Prince of Bejraburana5 July 18928 July 1923La-o SirisambandhPrincess Sudasiri Sobha
Ravi KayanandaPrince Varananda Dhavaj
Princess Bunchiradhorn JumbalaNone
Prajadhipok, King Rama VII8 November 189330 May 1941Princess Rambhai Barni SvastivatanaNone

In addition, the queen also adopted one of Savang Vadhana's daughters, Princess Valaya Alongkorn and raised as her own daughter.

Ancestors

Honours
Royal Monogram of Queen Saovabha

National honours

Foreign honours

See also

References
  1. "The Queen Regent Sri Bajarindra of Siam". www.soravij.com. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  2. "Anniversary of a Personality" (PDF). www.bic.moe.go.th/.
  3. "HM King Prajadhipok, Rama VII of the Chakri Dynasty". www.soravij.com. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  4. "Queen Regent of Siam, Saovabha Phongsri". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  5. "150th Anniversary Queen Sri Bajarindra of Siam". www.soravij.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
Saovabha Phongsri
Born: 1 January 1864 Died: 20 October 1919
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Rambery Siriwongse		 Queen consort of Siam
1878–1910		 Succeeded by
Prabai Sucharitakul
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