Srinagarindra
Encyclopedia
Srinagarindra was a member of the Thai Royal Family and was a member of House of Mahidol, which is descended from Chakri Dynasty, originated by Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Prince of Songkla
, son of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)
. She was the mother of Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas
, King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII)
, and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX)
.
Her given name was Sangwan , while her formal name and title were Somdech Phra Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani . In Thailand, the she was affectionately called Somdech Ya , "the Royal Grandmother". By the various hill tribe people, to whom she was a special patron, she was called Mae Fah Luang , "Royal Mother from the Sky", or "The Heavenly Royal Mother".
Princess Srinagarindra was born on 21 October 1900, in Nonthaburi Province
. Her given name was Sangwan Chukramol. She was the third child in a family of four children. Her elder brother and sister died while they were still young, and by the time she was 9 years old, she had also lost both her parents, and had only one remaining sibling, a younger brother named Thomya. Her aunt, Suay earned a living by making sweets and rolling cigarettes, became her guardian.
In those days, women had less opportunities in finding a job, many were housewives. Because of this, very few women could read. Sangwal's mother was one of those women, and she taught her daughter those skills. With these elementary skills, she enrolled at the all-girl school of Wat Anongkharam, the nearby temple whose abbot was recognized the need for girls to have an education. Her next school was Suksanari, but she had to leave after only a month due to lack of funds.
She maintained her reading habits by regularly visiting her aunt’s friend, who ran a library of books for rent. She read up on Thai classics, such as, Inao, Phra Abhaimani, and Sangsinchai.
At the suggestion of a relative, the young Sangwal was sent to live with Chan Saeng-xuto, another relative and a nanny to Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the Princess of Petchaburi
, daughter of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)
and Queen Savang Vadhana
(later Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Grandmother). At the age of 7, that the young Sangwal found herself presented to the royal court in the manner deemed proper for young Thai girls with the right connections and opportunities. Her only duty at that time was to present herself at a twice-daily audience with the Princess – when she woke up and again in the evening. Every now and then she would join the Princess’ entourage when she went for an audience with her mother, Queen Savang Vadhana at Suan Hongsa Royal Villa, in the grounds of Dusit Palace.
Shortly afterwards, she was sent to Satri Wittaya School, while she lived with Huan Hongsakul, the nanny of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Prince of Songkla
, the younger brother of Princess Valaya Alongkorn.
After an accident with a sewing needle, Sangwal was sent to Lord (Phraya) Damrong Baedyakhun, the court physician for surgery. She stayed at his house, while continuing her schooling at Satri Wittaya School. Sensing that she was feeling listless and unhappy, the good doctor enquired whether she would be interested in studying nursing, and she answered at once that indeed she would be.
With her options being limited and after 6 years of school, she as a young girl had no other choice for further education but to become a teacher. Siriraj Hospital
had opened a school of midwifery and nursing, but despite the minimum requirement of being able to read and write, had not been able to attract many students. To add further incentive, each student was paid 15 baht per month, sufficient to live on for the entire month.
Sangwal enrolled as a student of Siriraj School for Midwifery and Nursing in 1913, when she was just thirteen. She was two years under the minimum age requirement, but her qualifications more than made up for her age and the school was able to overlook this discrepancy. She was a scholarship student, and on accepting the fifteen baht monthly for her expenses, she had agreed to work for the hospital for three years, the same number of years she would spend at the nursing school. Upon graduation in 1916, she joined the nursing team at the hospital.
In the following year, Prince Rangsit Prayursakdi, the Prince of Chainat (son of King Chulalongkorn
and adopted son of Queen Savang Vadhana
, stepbrother of Princess Valaya Alongkorn
and Prince Mahidol Adulyadej
), director of the Royal Medical College of Siriraj Hospital, designated two doctors and two nurses to further their studies in the United States. These scholarship students were expected to return to teach future generations of medical students and advance the medical profession in Thailand. The medical scholarships were provided by Prince Mahidol Adulyadej and a first-year student at Harvard Medical School
, while the nursing scholarships were provided by his mother, Queen Savang Vadhana. One of the two nurses selected was Sangwal herself. Her preparations for this trip included a six-month intensive English couse with Miss Edna Sarah Cole, headmistress of Kullasatri Wang Lang School for girls (later to become Wattana Wittaya Academy
).
For her passport, she also needed a surname, the use of which was not a regular practice in Thailand
until 1913, during the reign of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI)
. Since her father was dead, she took on the surname of Lee Talabhat, who was in the service of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej. Her surviving younger brother registered himself as Thomya Chukramol.
Sangwal Talabhat left Bangkok
on the 13th of August, 1917 on the ship Kuala with almost twenty other Thai students. The trip took them to Singapore
, Hong Kong, Japan, Hawaii, and after six weeks, the group reached San Francisco. From there, she went to live with an American family, the Adamsens of Berkeley
, for a year, attending Emerson School with her friend Ubol Palakawongse na Ayudhya, a member of the nobility. She also attended Sunday school to learn the ways of the Christian faith.
In 1918, they joined eight other Thai students travelling to Boston
, Massachusetts
. As the train drew into Boston station on the 21st of September, 1918, Prince Mahidol was waiting to welcome them, though Sangwal had no idea who he was. Furthermore, she had no idea that her presence had already made an impact on the young prince, who, according to his roommate, Pradit Sukhum (later Lord (Luang) Sukhum Nayapradit), arrived home after two o'clock in the morning, shook him awake saying:
Prince Mahidol Adulyadej had arranged for the girls to stay with the Armstrong family in Hartford, Connecticut
, and to attend North Western Grammar School to perfect their English reading, writing, and speaking skills. During this time, Prince Mahidol maintained close interest in Sangwal’s development, making frequent visits to Hartford. Their strolls in the park to observe the flowers reflected Sangwal’s lifelong love of plants and concern for the natural environment.
Approval was granted, and in 1919, in a private ceremony, Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Prince of Songkla Nagarindra presented Sangwal Talabhat with a diamond ring on a heart-shaped setting. (30 years later, this same ring was to be presented by his son, King Bhumibol Adulyadej
, to his bride, Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara
). After their engagement, Prince Mahidol bade his fiancée move to Cambridge
where she lived with the Williston sisters, Emily and Constance, who tutored her in algebra, Latin
, French, and English. The Prince also assigned an American lady to take her on guided tours of museums and art galleries, with explanations on the significance of the various exhibits.
Prince Mahidol Adulyadej and Mom Sangwal Mahidol na Ayudhya had 3 children; 1 daughter and 2 sons:
The marriage was followed by an extensive visit to various European countries, before the couple eventually returned to the United States. Prince Mahidol resumed his studies in public health at Harvard and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) in Boston
and arranged for his wife to take a preparatory course for nursing at Simmons College
in the same town, where she studied chemistry and nutrition. Upon passing the test at the end of the semester, she went on to study school health at MIT, entering in the summer semester.
In Boston, they were simply known as Mr. and Mrs. Mahidol Songkla, living in a two-bedroom flat at 329 Longwood Avenue. Apart from their studies, they were both closely involved in the activities of the Siam Association of USA under Royal Patronage, which had been established by the prince. They would often host meals for other Thai students – she did the cooking and he washed the dishes.
was beset with kidney problems during his last year at medical school. Despite chronic health problems, he managed to graduate with honours. Immediately after his finals, he suffered from acute appendicitis requiring immediate surgery. As soon as he was well enough to travel, he and his family went to Europe again for an extended stopover, returning eventually to Siam in 1928 and taking up residency at Srapathum Palace. Prince Mahidol died on 24 September 1929 at Sapathum Palace.
was studying at Rajini School. As soon as they were old enough, her sons were also sent to school, Prince Ananda Mahidol
attended kindergarten at Mater Dei School and transferred to Debsirin School, while Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej
remained in kindergarten at Mater Dei School.
All through their lives they had been moving from place to place. Upon their return to Thailand on 24 June 1932, a revolution brought about the end of absolute monarchy in the country and introduced democracy. The situation was tense which made members of the Royal Family resign from their government posts, whereas many left the country to live overseas until the political scene had settled.
, who later titled the Queen Grandmother, consulted with her daughter, Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the Princess of Petchaburi
and her adopt son, Prince Rangsit Prayursakdi, the Prince of Chainat, about the suitable course of action for her grandchildren, especially Prince Ananda Mahidol
. Prince Rangsit recommended Lausanne
, Switzerland, a decision that Mom Sangwal approved to because of the in her opinion mild climate, beautiful scenery and hospitable people. It was also said to be one of the most favoured places of her much-travelled husband Prince Mahidol.
And so, in April 1933, Mom Sangwal and her children took off for Switzerland, together with a small entourage among whom was a young relative name Boonruen Sopoj, who later became Dame (Thanpuying) Boonruen Choonhavan, the widow of the late Prime Minister General Chatichai Choonhavan
.
) abdicated on 2 March 1934, relinquishing his right to appoint an heir to the throne, a year after they arrived in Switzerland,
According to the Palace Law
regarding succession to the throne as promulgated by King Vajiravudh
in 1924, the next line was the son of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Prince of Songkla Nagarindra
. Thus His Highness Prince Ananda Mahidol
, as yet only 9 years old, was declared the 8th monarch of the Chakri Dynasty.
Since the new king was only 9 years old, Parliament unanimously appointed Prince Aditya Dibabha Abhakara
(son of Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse, the Prince of Chumphorn
) and Lord (Chao Phraya) Yomaraj (Pan Sukhum) as Regents until the king came to age. On this same occasion, Mom Sangwal was conferred the title of The Princess Mother Sri Sangwal, a title that still denoted her commoner status.
For various reasons including security in line with their new status, the family moved from their former home to a new house, names Villa Vadhana in Pully, near Lausanne
.
The king and his younger brother, Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej
went to a school called Ecole Nouvélle de la Suisse Romande. Although in his own country he was king, at school in Switzerland he was simple Ananda Mahidol, son of Madame S. Mahidol, a student receiving no more privileges than any other student here.
The Princess Mother also took advantage of this brief sojourn in their homeland to make sure that the king saw as much as he could of the important temples and historic sites in Bangkok and the environs, and of the national arts and culture. She also kindled his desire to help others, to contribute to charitable projects including public health and medicine. The king donated a sum from his Privy Purse to build the Ananda Mahidol Hospital in Lopburi Province
, while his siblings donated toward a health centre in Samut Sakhon Province
.
In January 1939, King Ananda Mahidol and his family bade farewell once again to their homeland and returned to Switzerland.
The outbreak of World War II
in 1939 has its repercussions on Mahidol Family just as on anyone else, and the Princess Mother’s resourcefulness helped the family through the crisis. They received ration coupons like other Swiss families; they had to use ash for washing instead of soap, and the young king travelled to school by bicycle. The Princess Mother made her own jam from fruit such as strawberries, apples and pears that she picked from her own garden.
But even during such trying times, she kept up her late husband’s tradition of inviting Thai students round for meals on Saturdays. The increasing number of Thai students in Switzerland, who had moved there from war-torn Belgium, France, and Italy, meant that they had to take turns as guests of the Princess Mother. Her support to the students extended to lending, or even giving, them money if their funds from Thailand
arrived late, though she always managed to keep the family going even when her own funds were delayed as well.
The young king and his brother remained at Ecole Nouvélle de la Suisse Romande until 1941, boarding at the school during their last 2 years there, since it was their mother’s wish for them to learn how to take care of themselves. Meanwhile, Princess Galyani Vadhana was attending an international school in Geneva
.
The Princess Mother also made a point of hiring an English governess to teach English to the king. She also made sure her children kept up with their Thai language and culture studies with a tutor, Prueng Siribhatra, who was sent by the Thai Government
. The family lived in Switzerland until all children graduated. They prepared for their official return to Thailand
.
On 29 November 1945, the family started returning to Thailand
, this time travelling by plane. 6 days later, they arrived in Thailand. As they stepped off the plane, that Thai public witnessed, not two young schoolboys dressed in shorts as they had the previous time, but two mature and dignified young men, happy to be back among their own, yet, understandably apprehensive about the responsibilities and expectations that lay ahead.
Princess Mother Sri Sangwal, on the other hand, seemed more at ease than ever before. At the age of 45, she had successfully directed the paths of her children until they were all intelligent and responsible adults, commanding the awe, admiration and respect of the Thai people. King Ananda Mahidol especially was ready to take on the huge burden placed upon his shoulders. Everywhere the king went, his mother and younger brother would be close by. Having grown up in a faraway land, there was much for them to see and learn about their country and their culture, and the Princess Mother made sure that all their questions were answered.
requested that the king postpone his return to Switzerland in order to present the new Constitution to the nation on 9 May 1946, and to open Parliament on 1 June. He acquiesced, and the return trip to Switzerland was scheduled for 13 June 1946. But the trip was not to be, for an unforeseen calamity befell the nation. On the morning of 9 June 1946, only 4 days before he was due to travel to Switzerland, His Majesty King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) of Thailand died in an incident of either regicide or suicide at Boromphiman Throne Hall, Grand Palace, Bangkok
. Though Siamese police director general originally told an emergency session of the legislature that the King's death was accidental, experts have since testified that regicide is the most likely due to King Ananda Mahidol being found flat on his back with his colt found a small distance from his body but nearer his non dominant hand. In February 1955, three of the late King's attendants: his secretary Senator Chaleo Patoomros and two pages, Nai Chit and Butr Paramasrin, were executed by Phibun's regime on charges of conspiracy to kill the King after long and confusing trial. Today it is acknowledged that these charges were probably baseless, but the truth of the matter remains a mystery that is not discussed within Thailand.
On the same day as King Ananda Mahidol's death, by Parliament’s unanimous decision, Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej
, her second son was invited to accede to the throne as King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) of Thailand, the ninth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty
. He switched his choice of subjects from science to political science, law and economics, in order to better suit his new priorities.
During that time, the Princess Mother once more dedicated herself to her role of “housekeeper” of the Villa Vadhana residence, seeing to it that everything ran smoothly. She preferred to do things by herself, even driving on shopping rounds. After lunch, she would spend her time in the garden, digging the flower beds, pruning the bushes and sweeping the leaves. She would also attend lectures on topics of interest at the University of Lausanne
. On days off from college, the king and his mother would go on drives out of Lausanne or to neighbouring countries such as Italy, France, and Liechtenstein
, visiting various places of interest or just enjoying the peace and quiet of the countryside. On these trips, the Princess Mother would often stop by the road and pick wild flowers to take back home.
On 4 October 1948, King Bhumibol Adulyadej was badly hurt in a motoring accident, requiring hospitalization. The Princess Mother committed herself to nursing her son back to health. Fear and anxiety for her son, together with the physical strain, must have taken their toll, and doctors eventually advised her to take a break in the country.
Not long afterwards, on 12 August 1949, the Thai people received joyful news that the King had become engaged to Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara
, the eldest daughter of His Serene Highness Prince (Mom Chao) Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara
(later became His Highness the Prince of Chuntaburi II Suranath), the Thai ambassador of the Court of St. James's
, England, and Mom Luang Bua Sanidvongse.
and King Bhumibol Adulyadej
, and to her daughter Princess Galyani Vadhana
, while carving out her own role in activities of social concern.
When King Bhumibol Adulyadej returned to Thailand
from his studies in Switzerland in 1951 with his wife, Queen Sirikit, and their first daughter, Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, the Princess Mother remained in Lausanne
. She returned only periodically between 1952 to 1963 in order to attend significant functions or events, such as the birth of her grandchildren, the illness and subsequent death of Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Grandmother
, or the ordination of her son, the King. For these visits, she would stay only one or two months at a time, and only stayed for extended periods when the occasion demanded. On Their Majesties’ state visit to 14 European countries and the United States in 1960, she remained in Thailand
for 6 months, acting as Regent during Their Majesties’ absence, just as she did during their subsequent state visits overseas until 1967.
(later became Queen Sri Bajrindra, the Queen Mother), and Queen Sirikit
early on in the present reign. In the capacity, she put her signature to a number of important laws and declarations, including the Suppression of Prostitution Act of 1960, and the first National Economic Development Plan, 1961–1966.
A trip to northern Thailand in 1964 helped change her routine. Not long after the Bhubing Palace
on the northern town of Chiang Mai Province
was completed, the King invited the Princess Mother for a visit. As was her habit in Switzerland, the Princess Mother went for long treks through the woods behind the palace, enjoying the flora and fauna, and stopping in the little villages en route. It was then that she discovered the abject poverty of the villages in remote areas. There was a sad luck of schools and health services or personnel, and even the border patrol police, who acted as guides and also provided security fro her on the trips, were very poorly paid, and receive no per diem for services rendered over and above their normal duties.
Due to those observations revealing the precarious economical situation of the rural areas, the Princess Mother began making regular visits to the remotest areas of the kingdom, starting from 1964, despite her age of 64 years. In border areas, she would make it a point to visit each patrol station to lend moral support to the soldiers.
This was also the start of a number of projects to alleviate the problems of poor villages and improve their quality of life. Ranging from education and health care, to environmental preservation, the social welfare projects have over the decades proved to be a unifying force for those in remote areas and have helped upgrade their lives.
.
The sewing circle members started off by making their own clothes, then gradually made clothes for poor children at various hospitals. They met once a week, each member taking turns hosting tea at home between 4 and 6 pm.
It soon became a procedure for the Princess Mother to set aside her own money to purchase necessary items for poor villages during her increasingly frequent upcountry visits. These gifts included T-shirts, towels, multipurpose “pha khao ma” cloth, and stationary for schoolteachers, school uniforms, and stationery for schoolchildren, and pha khao ma, sarongs, needles and thread, medicine, tinned food and dried foodstuff for villagers, while small children would receive various toys suitable for their age.
She also set up with her own personal funds a number of foundations, most notably the Border Patrol Police Support Foundation, and the New Life Foundation for those who have recovered from leprosy or mental illness.
Apart from her own personal funds, the money for these various projects came from the sale of handicraft made through projects initiated by the Princess Mother, such as pressed-flower greeting cards, which was ner hobby, and brooms and brushes made from the sisal hemp, which became a very popular product.
In 1985, the Cabinet approved the proposal of the National Committee for the Promotion and Development of Social Welfare Activities that 21 October, the Princess Mother’s birthday, be declared National Social Welfare Day, in honour of the Princess Mother, who devoted her time and efforts, in addition to her own funds, to well-being of the people. As she was also a nurse, it has since been renamed National Nurses' Day (TH: วันพยาบาลแห่งชาติ Wan Phayaban Haeng Chat).
Being a scholarship student herself, the Princess Mother was known to have provided scholarships as far back as 1920, not long after her marriage to Prince Mahidol Adulyadej
. The Bangkok Times issue of 21 September 1920 listed the names of donors to the Kullasatri Wang Lang School, which included the newly-weds, who had donated 5,000 baht. The publication noted that Mom Sangwal Mahidol na Ayudhya, having married into the Royal Family, was entitled to an annual stipend of 200 baht, and that she had decided to donate it in its entirely to needy students.
Her students as a scholarship student had been under the direction of Prince Mahidol. Her studies included algebra, English, Latin and French, in addition to her courses in nursing and public health. She also received tutorials in psychology, cooking and nutrition.
Through the influence of her royal husband, she had always considered it her responsibility to return to Thailand
to help the nation. This sense of responsibility was also instilled in the hearts of her three children from the time they were small. According to Princess Galyani Vadhana
:
Although her children were brought up in a western environment, the Princess Mother always made sure that they retained their contacts with their language and culture. She commissioned a jigsaw puzzle in the shape of a map of Thailand as an educational toy for her children. History and geography quizzes were a standard family game at mealtimes, and if the children did not know the answer to a question, they had to look up in a dictionary or encyclopedia.
This kind of environment created by the Princess Mother was greatly conductive to inquisitive minds like those of the three royal children, encouraging them to strive for the best in whatever happened to interest them. When the two young princes became interested in World War I
battleships, they would each study the subjects matter in depth, the elder prince researching German battelships while his younger brother read up on English and American vessels.
One of the Princess Mother’s initiatives with regard to education was the Border Patrol Police School project. As a result of her frequent trips to the remote corners of the kingdom, the Princess Mother learned of the extreme poverty of the villagers, especially those belonging to the hill tribes. One school had been set up by the Border Patrol Police Region 5 in their Dararasmi Camp, in Mae Rim District Chiang Mai Province
. The school provided access to education for children in these remote regions, giving hilltribe children a chance to learn the Thai language and culture and instilling in them a sense of being Thai.
The concept was in line with the Princess Mother’s own philosophy that education was the key to improving human resources, a necessary development tool. She therefore took the school under her royal patronage in 1964, and donated funds to the Border Patrol Police to set up similar school in remote areas. The private sector found this to be a worthy cause, and contributed its share in setting up more schools, which were named after their donors.
Each school – and there were eventually to be 185 – had power classrooms and a proper residence for teachers for added convenience and incentive. She personally went to open each of these schools, donating to them a set of symbolic items to bolster a sense of Thai identity, including a Buddha image to symbolize religion, a portrait of the King or the Queen as an emblem of the monarchy, and a flag to represent the nation. She also made sure that each school was equipped with a radio set to keep up with the news, and a map of Thailand to give students a sense of belonging no matter where in the country they were located.
, who had pledged his mental, physical and financial support to the field of public health of the country.
Upon the death of Prince Mahidol, the Princess Mother continued to provide scholarships to medical students so their studies would not be interrupted. When they returned to work, she also supplemented their salary if it happened to be lower than the set rate. A revolving fund of 500,000 baht was provided to Chulalongkorn University
for 25 years, from which the interest could be used to send students for post-graduate studies overseas. After 25 years, the fund was transferred to the Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital
.
In 1945, as she accompanied her elder son, King Ananda Mahidol
, back to Thailand
, she brought back with her drug PAS which was used to treat tuberculosis.
In addition to providing scholarships, the Princess Mother continued to play a major role in the field of nursing in Thailand. She founded the Thailand Nursing Association, of which she was also a board member. With her funds, the first national nursing convention in Thailand was organized in 1960. Hospital building and nursing schools were built under her patronage
In 1969, she established the first medical volunteer mobile unit in Chiang Mai Province
, called The Princess Mother’s Medical Volunteer. The team was made up of doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and health officers, who volunteered their time during weekends to travel by car or helicopter to treat the ill, and offer consultative services to the public free of charge.
All expenses for these visits were subsidized by the Princess Mother. If she happened to be on the trip with the medical team, she would help fill the prescriptions and provide advice to the sick. Those in critical condition would be sent to local hospitals. Later, she experimented with the system of radio consultation between doctors in the hospital and patients at health centres in remote areas, following the system of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
.
The project was well received, and within a few years the number of radio centres increased to 446 covering 25 provinces, with the centre of operations at Srapathum Palace. Over a million patients have benefited from this service.
In 1974, the Princess Mother donated one million baht to establish The Princess Mother’s Volunteer Flying Doctor Foundation, which was subsequently changed into The Princess Mother’s Volunteer Foundation; PMMV in 1985. Through the years, the foundation was to remain close to her heart, much like a mother who brings up a baby into a fully grown adult but still continues to keep a watchful eye on him in his maturity.
The Prostheses Foundation and the Breast Foundation which both under the Patronage of the Princess Mother, were two projects that the Princess Mother initiated in her later years. The Prostheses Foundation was set up in 1992, when she learned that a doctor from Chiang Mai University
had developed below knee prostheses from recycled plastic bottles which cost only 700 baht, and ones that could be used for agricultural purposes at a mere 300 baht. She saw this as an opportunity to provide artificial limbs free of charge to the poor to enable them to carry out a normal life. With initial funds donated by the Princess Mother, and further donations from her daughter, Princess Galyani Vadhana
, and the general public, the foundation is now able to offer here artificial limbs to the needy regardless of nationality or religion. It also trains personnel, and carries out research to improve the quality of the protheses.
In 1964, at the age of 64, she hiked to the top of Doi Inthanon
, Thailand’s highest peak locates in Chiang Mai Province
. She had been used to taking walks from Bhubing Palace
, accompanied by border control police and two physicians. Soon she left that she had covered all she could within the immediate vicinity, and yearned to conquer Doi Inthanon, which was visible from the palace windows. In those days there was no access road to the top, and the Princess Mother spent two nights camping out during her hike, the first night before the ascent at Pang Somdet, and the following night at Ban Pha Mon. Here a large number of hilltribe villagers turned up to welcome her. Again, their lack of access to medical care gave her cause for concern. When she returned the following year, she brought with her two doctors, and her visits to these remote areas by helicopter eventually earned her the name Mae Fah Luang among the hill tribes, meaning Royal Mother from the sky, referring to her descent from the skies with doctors, nurses, medical equipment, food and clothing for them.
The mulitple visits of the hill tribes her realize that their slash-and-burn system of cultivation had inadvertently caused the destruction of the watershed forests. Over the years, they had moved from place to place, leaving behind them patches of barren hillside.
She initiated the Doi Tung Development Project. I shall plant forests on Doi Tung, she pledged. In 1988, a total of 93,515 rai (14,962 ha.) in Mae Chan, Mae Sai, and Mae Fah Luang District of Chiang Rai Province
were targeted for reforestation and sustainable development to improve the quality of life of the local villagers.
The Princess Mother played an active role in the Doi Tung Development Project, starting from nursing the saplings herself, planting the forests with support from government and the private sector. Surrounding the palace are also experimental plots where temperate crops are tested, such as Arabica coffee beans from Brazil
and Costa Rica
, macadamia nuts and chestnuts. New plant-nursery technology is constantly being introduced for the promulgation of asparagus, bananas, orchids and strawberries. After successful trials, villagers are trained in the procedures to follow, and these extra activities are expected to provide them with an increased income.
A Drug Rehabilitation Centre was also set up so addicts could be treated and provided with vocational training to suit their way of life. Mulberry trees, the fibre of which is used to make sa paper, is just one of the crops they are encouraged to plant and grow.
or his wife.
Princess Galyani Vadhana
described her upbringing as being very much in the vein of any normal family, where the children are taught to be respectful of grown-ups, to be responsible in their duties, and to expect punishment when they are naughty. Coral punishment was applicable as the last resort. First-time mistake would be discussed, and explanations given. However, if the children still persisted despite reasons and warnings, then punishment would be meted out. Often the Princess Mother would even discuss with the offender what level of punishment they thought deserved. Then they would grimly face the consequences.
Princess Galyani Vadhana recounted a particular episode in Lausanne
when Prince Ananda Mahidol
, despite frequent warnings persisted in picking on a youngster who was the son of the caretaker. On this particular occasion, Prince Ananda Mahidol pushed the boy near some stairs, which could have led to a disastrous outcome.
The exasperated mother said to her son;
And with that, the punishment was carried out. Prince Ananda never picked on the little boy again.
The children had been taught from a young age to be thrifty. They each received weekly pocket money, the amount depending on their age, but never more than was necessary to buy themselves some sweets or chocolates. Other items, such as books and toys, also had to come out of their own pocket money; the Princess Mother only indulged them on special occasions like birthdays.
A sense of frugality was something that the Princess Mother practiced throughout her life. Even when she was in a position to pamper herself a little, she preferred to maintain her simple was of life. Her meals were simple dishes that emphasized nutritional value. She only had new clothes made when necessary, usually two outfits a year. She wore very little jewelry. A simple bracelet made of nine gemstones was the extent of her accessories; she said it went with any outfit. She also wore one particular ring – a diamond ring with her Thai initials “Sor Vor” (th: ส.ว.) etched on top. The initials stood for “Savang Vadhana” (th: สว่างวัฒนา), the given name of Queen Sri Savarindira
who had given her the ring.
Manners were an integral part of character-moulding. The children had always been taught to respect their elders and behave properly with other people, and this remained the same despite the change in their status later in life. Along with manners came spirituality and religion. Though she learned about Christianity during her years in the United States, she remained a devout Buddhist, and brought her children up in the Buddhist faith as well. However, she was clever enough to introduce western religious rites such as bedtime prayers into their daily routine to make Buddhism more accessible to them. Instead of the usual Sanskrit incantations, they said their prayers in Thai, asking the Lord Buddha to protect them and lead then down the good and righteous path. Prayers would them be supplemented by stories on the life of the Buddha.
To encourage them to be aware of their responsibilities, the children were expected to do their chores like any other children. They had to keep their rooms clean and even the young king had to make his own bed when he was in Lausanne. This habit remained in later years. When King Bhumibol Adulyadej
was living overseas, he would drive, wash and even polish his own car without anyone’s assistance. Similarly, after his music sessions, he would insist on putting away his own musical instruments and wiping them himself.
Her way of bringing up the children held her in great respect from Queen Sri Savarindira
, who had nothing but praise for her daughter-in-law. As Princess Galyani Vadhana
noted;
On boat trips, the Princess Mother was known to have enjoyed standing on deck at night, gazing at the stars without the use of a telescope. When the navy officials had explained the names of the constellations to her in Thai and English, she would give their French and Latin names, then proceed to astonish the officials with her knowledge of further constellations, until quite late into the night.
Her interest in astronomy remained a lifelong passion and was reflected in several of her other activities. The constellations appeared as part of her ceramics painting, on lamps, ashtrays and dishes, often in the form of flowers representing the stars, with the number of petals and the colours representing the magnitude of each star.
Her love of astronomy was evident in her Doi Tung Royal Villa. The ceiling of the main reception hall is decorated with the constellations as designed by the Bangkok Planetarium. I want a ceiling for the hall that is inexpensive, she instructed, opting for a carving of the solar system and the 12 signs of the zodiac, and 12 constellations rather than a crystal chandelier. Each star was represented by a light bulb giving off a comparative magnitude of light. Wood carvings of other constellations also adorned her private balcony and some of doors.
Her technique for pressing flowers was to put them between sheets of newsprint and tissue paper and toilet rolls, and cover them with some heavy books. She would also write the common and scientific names of the flowers, and the date, on the newsprint.
This particular activity was not simply for pleasure and decorative purposes. As most of her other activities, it became an educational process, not only for herself but also for others. She collected the pressed flowers into an album, indicating the names in both French and Latin and the documented the location where they were picked, the altitude and the date.
was photography. When she arrived in California
and started receiving her own pocket money of US$5 a month, she saved up to buy her own box camera. She experimented with different photographic techniques, such as double exposure, and would continuously upgrade her equipment were subjects for her camera, and as a result the country has extensive records of their two kings as children. In 1928, her interest was drawn to the movie camera. She was among the 50 members of the Amateur Cinematographic Society set up by King Prajadhipok
at Chitralada Palace
. Here she would show her own home movies to the other members.
The hobby was adopted by both her sons.
and horseback riding were also regular activities, and she continued riding well into her seventies. She only gave up badminton when she was 70, and skiing when she was 80. In later years, she would enjoy a game of pétanque
, which was good exercise for different parts of her body and her joints.
Through her knowledge of health care and nutrition, and regular exercise, the Princess Mother retained good health. A physical examination in 1988 showed that she was in perfect condition. If you were to look at the medical report, her blood tests, blood pressure, pulse, etc., without knowing who the patient was, I guarantee that no one would have guessed her age correctly, as the results were no different from those of any strong and healthy young man or woman said Dr. Chek Dhanasiri, one of her physicians.
I shall plant forests on Doi Tung. With those words, a royal initiative was found, launching an attempt to revert the mountain to its original state. The Princess Mother was also determined to improve the quality of life of the villagers, provide education and health services, means of a regular income, and an awareness of the need to preserve the environment.
Acting on this inspiration, the government under Prime Minister General Prem Tinsulanonda
set up the Doi Tung Development Project in 1988 as a joint project between 7 ministries. The Princess Mother was approaching her 90th birthday, and the Thai people were concerned that her annual sojourns in Switzerland were becoming too taxing for hege. A house on Doi Tung
would be the perfect solution; its location at 1,000 metres above sea level, with temperatures ranging between 17 and 24 degrees Celsius, its climate and the surrounding scenery were not unlike the cool, mountains setting of Villa Vadhana in Lausanne
.
The two-story house is nestled against a steep incline. The upper floor is divided into 4 sections – the private queaters of the Princess Mother. Princess Galyani Vadhana
and Thanpuying Dhasanawalaya Sornsongkram
, and the reception hall.
Reflecting the Princess Mother’s deep interest in astronomy, the ceiling in the reception hall is carved in the image of the solar system, with clusters of the different star signs. Instead of the usual chandelier, the room is lit with bulbs representing the stars in the system. Walls are lined with Thai silk embroidered with flowers. Other decorative items are carvings of elephant herds in the forest, while the Thai alphabet lines the stairway to the lower level.
Behind the palace is a long balcony lined with flowers boxes. It is here that the Princess Mother spent many a happy hour tending to the flowers herself. The lower level are living and working quarters for countries. In front is a wide lawn with flower gardens, which affords a wonderful view of the mountain range that stretches as far as the eye can see.
The Princess Mother took up residence at the Doi Tung Royal Villa on 23 November 1990. This is my home she said. After all, her other palaces had been official royal residences. It was her first true home and, sadly, her last.
Just a decade later, as the smell of fragrant flowers waft on the breeze toward the palace, visitors can see the changes in Doi Tung
. The hillsides are lush with watershed forests, commercial forests, and botanical gardens. Planting the seeds of awareness and responsibility in the people to help replant the forests and regenerate the environment on Doi Tung, as inspired by the Princess Mother, has achieved its goal. Apart from being the site of an experimental agricultural project, Doi Tung is now said to be one of the leading tourist destinations in Thailand
.
was a plan to improve the quality of life of the local hilltribe villagers. No longer able to rely on their slash-and-burn method of cultivation, they needed alternative ways to feed themselves and earn an income. In 1972, the Princess Mother established the Hill Tribes Products Promotion Foundation with an initial donation of 100,00 baht. The foundation, based at Srapathum Palace in Bangkok
, would promote and market the beautiful and distinct handicrafts produced by each village. The foundation also provided training to hilltribe youth to enable them to lead the development programme.
The Princess Mother donated more money to buy 2.3 hectares of land in Chiang Rai
, which became the centre for training in agriculture, weaving and dyeing. A Hill Tribe Youth Leadership Programme was set up to allow 50 youth to undergo training courses each year.
, not only for the royal position, but most of all for her dedication and numerous achievements initiated for the benefit of the people.
Princess Mother lived officially in Srapathum Palace, with her daughter, Princess Galyani Vadhana
. In the middle of 1991, she apparently fell in her bedroom. She never entirely recovered from that accident. In November 1993, December 1994 and again in June 1995 she was admitted to the Siriraj Hospital
for treatment. And in the end, Princess Srinagarindra died on 18 July 1995 at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok
, at the age of 94. She was one of the longest-living Thai royalty.
As her body lay in state within the ancient and cavernous hall of Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall, in the compound of the Grand Palace, mourners thronged to pay their final respects. These included not only members of the Royal Family, diplomats, government official, and those living within the confines of the capital city, but also hilltribe villagers from the far corners of the kingdom. They filed into Bangkok
by car, by bus, by train, their black-clad figures covering the vast grounds of Sanam Luang
with a dark blanket of sorrow and grief.
The Royal Cremation took place on 10 March 1996. For which an elaborately carved, the Royal Crematorium, or Phra Merumas, was built in the centre of Sanam Luang
, symbolizing the mythical mountain abode of the Hindu
gods. Crowds lined the street as the golden urn of rank was transported on the Royal Great Victory Carriage, or Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot. In a solemn procession from the Grand Palace to the Royal Crematorium. This Royal Cremation Ceremony was one of the biggest events Thailand has witnessed in modern times, attended by thousands of people and watched on television nation-worldwide.
The funeral pyre was lit by her son, King Bhumibol Adulyadej
. After the cremation, the king collected his mother’s ashes to be afterwards enshrined nearby her husband Prince Mahidol Adulyadej
in the Rangsi Vadhana Memorial, Royal Cemetery, Wat Ratchabophit temple in Bangkok.
There is some confusion as to why the Princess Mother was never titled
Queen Mother
, considering that she was the mother of two kings. Since her husband was never king and only had the title of a prince, she never ascended as a queen-consort, and was therefore she was given the title Princess Mother by her son.
Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother received the following decorations in the Honours System
of Thailand:
Mahidol Adulyadej
Mahitaladhibes Adulyadejvikrom, the Prince Father , or officially styled Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla was the father of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. He was also regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health of Thailand...
, son of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
. She was the mother of Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas
Galyani Vadhana
Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas , was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej...
, King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII)
Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol was the eighth monarch of Thailand under the House of Chakri. At the time he was recognized as king by the National Assembly, in March 1935, he was a nine-year-old boy living in Switzerland. He returned to Thailand in December 1945. Six months later, in June 1946, he was found shot...
, and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX)
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
.
Her given name was Sangwan , while her formal name and title were Somdech Phra Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani . In Thailand, the she was affectionately called Somdech Ya , "the Royal Grandmother". By the various hill tribe people, to whom she was a special patron, she was called Mae Fah Luang , "Royal Mother from the Sky", or "The Heavenly Royal Mother".
Early Life and Background
Nonthaburi Province
Nonthaburi is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom....
. Her given name was Sangwan Chukramol. She was the third child in a family of four children. Her elder brother and sister died while they were still young, and by the time she was 9 years old, she had also lost both her parents, and had only one remaining sibling, a younger brother named Thomya. Her aunt, Suay earned a living by making sweets and rolling cigarettes, became her guardian.
In those days, women had less opportunities in finding a job, many were housewives. Because of this, very few women could read. Sangwal's mother was one of those women, and she taught her daughter those skills. With these elementary skills, she enrolled at the all-girl school of Wat Anongkharam, the nearby temple whose abbot was recognized the need for girls to have an education. Her next school was Suksanari, but she had to leave after only a month due to lack of funds.
She maintained her reading habits by regularly visiting her aunt’s friend, who ran a library of books for rent. She read up on Thai classics, such as, Inao, Phra Abhaimani, and Sangsinchai.
At the suggestion of a relative, the young Sangwal was sent to live with Chan Saeng-xuto, another relative and a nanny to Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the Princess of Petchaburi
Valaya Alongkorn
Her Royal Highness Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the Princess of Phetchaburi or Somdet Phra Ratcha Pitucha Chao Fa Valaya Alongkorn Krom Luang Phetchaburi Rajasirindhorn , was the Princess of Siam Her Royal Highness Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the Princess of Phetchaburi or Somdet Phra Ratcha Pitucha...
, daughter of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
and Queen Savang Vadhana
Savang Vadhana
Queen Savang Vadhana of Siam was a consort of King Chulalongkorn or Rama V. Her full name and title was Queen Sri Savarindira - thus she was not the Rajini , but just was a highest consort...
(later Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Grandmother). At the age of 7, that the young Sangwal found herself presented to the royal court in the manner deemed proper for young Thai girls with the right connections and opportunities. Her only duty at that time was to present herself at a twice-daily audience with the Princess – when she woke up and again in the evening. Every now and then she would join the Princess’ entourage when she went for an audience with her mother, Queen Savang Vadhana at Suan Hongsa Royal Villa, in the grounds of Dusit Palace.
Mahidol Adulyadej
Mahitaladhibes Adulyadejvikrom, the Prince Father , or officially styled Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla was the father of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. He was also regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health of Thailand...
, the younger brother of Princess Valaya Alongkorn.
After an accident with a sewing needle, Sangwal was sent to Lord (Phraya) Damrong Baedyakhun, the court physician for surgery. She stayed at his house, while continuing her schooling at Satri Wittaya School. Sensing that she was feeling listless and unhappy, the good doctor enquired whether she would be interested in studying nursing, and she answered at once that indeed she would be.
With her options being limited and after 6 years of school, she as a young girl had no other choice for further education but to become a teacher. Siriraj Hospital
Siriraj Hospital
Siriraj Hospital is the oldest hospital in Thailand, located in Bangkok on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus...
had opened a school of midwifery and nursing, but despite the minimum requirement of being able to read and write, had not been able to attract many students. To add further incentive, each student was paid 15 baht per month, sufficient to live on for the entire month.
Nursing Student
In the following year, Prince Rangsit Prayursakdi, the Prince of Chainat (son of King Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
and adopted son of Queen Savang Vadhana
Savang Vadhana
Queen Savang Vadhana of Siam was a consort of King Chulalongkorn or Rama V. Her full name and title was Queen Sri Savarindira - thus she was not the Rajini , but just was a highest consort...
, stepbrother of Princess Valaya Alongkorn
Valaya Alongkorn
Her Royal Highness Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the Princess of Phetchaburi or Somdet Phra Ratcha Pitucha Chao Fa Valaya Alongkorn Krom Luang Phetchaburi Rajasirindhorn , was the Princess of Siam Her Royal Highness Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the Princess of Phetchaburi or Somdet Phra Ratcha Pitucha...
and Prince Mahidol Adulyadej
Mahidol Adulyadej
Mahitaladhibes Adulyadejvikrom, the Prince Father , or officially styled Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla was the father of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. He was also regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health of Thailand...
), director of the Royal Medical College of Siriraj Hospital, designated two doctors and two nurses to further their studies in the United States. These scholarship students were expected to return to teach future generations of medical students and advance the medical profession in Thailand. The medical scholarships were provided by Prince Mahidol Adulyadej and a first-year student at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, while the nursing scholarships were provided by his mother, Queen Savang Vadhana. One of the two nurses selected was Sangwal herself. Her preparations for this trip included a six-month intensive English couse with Miss Edna Sarah Cole, headmistress of Kullasatri Wang Lang School for girls (later to become Wattana Wittaya Academy
Wattana Wittaya Academy
Wattana Wittaya Academy is Thailand's first boarding school for girls. It was established in 1878 at the palace of the Third King of the Chakri Dynasty. The original name was Kullasatri Wanglang.-Reference:...
).
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
until 1913, during the reign of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI)
Vajiravudh
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramentharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Phra Bat Somdet Phra Ramathibodi Si Sintharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VI was the sixth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1910 until his death...
. Since her father was dead, she took on the surname of Lee Talabhat, who was in the service of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej. Her surviving younger brother registered himself as Thomya Chukramol.
Sangwal Talabhat left Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
on the 13th of August, 1917 on the ship Kuala with almost twenty other Thai students. The trip took them to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Hong Kong, Japan, Hawaii, and after six weeks, the group reached San Francisco. From there, she went to live with an American family, the Adamsens of Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, for a year, attending Emerson School with her friend Ubol Palakawongse na Ayudhya, a member of the nobility. She also attended Sunday school to learn the ways of the Christian faith.
In 1918, they joined eight other Thai students travelling to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. As the train drew into Boston station on the 21st of September, 1918, Prince Mahidol was waiting to welcome them, though Sangwal had no idea who he was. Furthermore, she had no idea that her presence had already made an impact on the young prince, who, according to his roommate, Pradit Sukhum (later Lord (Luang) Sukhum Nayapradit), arrived home after two o'clock in the morning, shook him awake saying:
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and to attend North Western Grammar School to perfect their English reading, writing, and speaking skills. During this time, Prince Mahidol maintained close interest in Sangwal’s development, making frequent visits to Hartford. Their strolls in the park to observe the flowers reflected Sangwal’s lifelong love of plants and concern for the natural environment.
Engagement and Marriage
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
, to his bride, Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara
Sirikit
Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat , is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand...
). After their engagement, Prince Mahidol bade his fiancée move to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
where she lived with the Williston sisters, Emily and Constance, who tutored her in algebra, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, French, and English. The Prince also assigned an American lady to take her on guided tours of museums and art galleries, with explanations on the significance of the various exhibits.
Prince Mahidol Adulyadej and Mom Sangwal Mahidol na Ayudhya had 3 children; 1 daughter and 2 sons:
- Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas RajanagarindraGalyani VadhanaHer Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas , was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej...
, (born 6 May 1923, died 2 January 2008), married Aram Rattanakul Serireungriddhi (then divorced) had 1 daughter, and then married Prince Varananda Dhavaj Chudadhuj, had no children. - King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII)Ananda MahidolAnanda Mahidol was the eighth monarch of Thailand under the House of Chakri. At the time he was recognized as king by the National Assembly, in March 1935, he was a nine-year-old boy living in Switzerland. He returned to Thailand in December 1945. Six months later, in June 1946, he was found shot...
, (born 20 September 1925, died 9 June 1946), unmarried - King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX)Bhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
, (born 5 December 1927), married Mom Rajawongse Sirikit KitiyakaraSirikitSomdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat , is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand...
, has 4 children.
The marriage was followed by an extensive visit to various European countries, before the couple eventually returned to the United States. Prince Mahidol resumed his studies in public health at Harvard and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT) in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and arranged for his wife to take a preparatory course for nursing at Simmons College
Simmons College (Massachusetts)
Simmons College, established in 1899, is a private women's undergraduate college and private co-educational graduate school in Boston, Massachusetts.-History:Simmons was founded in 1899 with a bequest by John Simmons a wealthy clothing manufacturer in Boston...
in the same town, where she studied chemistry and nutrition. Upon passing the test at the end of the semester, she went on to study school health at MIT, entering in the summer semester.
In Boston, they were simply known as Mr. and Mrs. Mahidol Songkla, living in a two-bedroom flat at 329 Longwood Avenue. Apart from their studies, they were both closely involved in the activities of the Siam Association of USA under Royal Patronage, which had been established by the prince. They would often host meals for other Thai students – she did the cooking and he washed the dishes.
Death of Prince Mahidol
Prince Mahidol AdulyadejMahidol Adulyadej
Mahitaladhibes Adulyadejvikrom, the Prince Father , or officially styled Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla was the father of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. He was also regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health of Thailand...
was beset with kidney problems during his last year at medical school. Despite chronic health problems, he managed to graduate with honours. Immediately after his finals, he suffered from acute appendicitis requiring immediate surgery. As soon as he was well enough to travel, he and his family went to Europe again for an extended stopover, returning eventually to Siam in 1928 and taking up residency at Srapathum Palace. Prince Mahidol died on 24 September 1929 at Sapathum Palace.
After Mahidol's death
She was 29 years old then and cared for her 3 young children ranging in age from six and four to one year and nine months. At that time, her daughter, Princess Galyani VadhanaGalyani Vadhana
Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas , was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej...
was studying at Rajini School. As soon as they were old enough, her sons were also sent to school, Prince Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol was the eighth monarch of Thailand under the House of Chakri. At the time he was recognized as king by the National Assembly, in March 1935, he was a nine-year-old boy living in Switzerland. He returned to Thailand in December 1945. Six months later, in June 1946, he was found shot...
attended kindergarten at Mater Dei School and transferred to Debsirin School, while Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
remained in kindergarten at Mater Dei School.
All through their lives they had been moving from place to place. Upon their return to Thailand on 24 June 1932, a revolution brought about the end of absolute monarchy in the country and introduced democracy. The situation was tense which made members of the Royal Family resign from their government posts, whereas many left the country to live overseas until the political scene had settled.
Moved back to Europe
Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen AuntSavang Vadhana
Queen Savang Vadhana of Siam was a consort of King Chulalongkorn or Rama V. Her full name and title was Queen Sri Savarindira - thus she was not the Rajini , but just was a highest consort...
, who later titled the Queen Grandmother, consulted with her daughter, Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the Princess of Petchaburi
Valaya Alongkorn
Her Royal Highness Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the Princess of Phetchaburi or Somdet Phra Ratcha Pitucha Chao Fa Valaya Alongkorn Krom Luang Phetchaburi Rajasirindhorn , was the Princess of Siam Her Royal Highness Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the Princess of Phetchaburi or Somdet Phra Ratcha Pitucha...
and her adopt son, Prince Rangsit Prayursakdi, the Prince of Chainat, about the suitable course of action for her grandchildren, especially Prince Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol was the eighth monarch of Thailand under the House of Chakri. At the time he was recognized as king by the National Assembly, in March 1935, he was a nine-year-old boy living in Switzerland. He returned to Thailand in December 1945. Six months later, in June 1946, he was found shot...
. Prince Rangsit recommended Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland, a decision that Mom Sangwal approved to because of the in her opinion mild climate, beautiful scenery and hospitable people. It was also said to be one of the most favoured places of her much-travelled husband Prince Mahidol.
And so, in April 1933, Mom Sangwal and her children took off for Switzerland, together with a small entourage among whom was a young relative name Boonruen Sopoj, who later became Dame (Thanpuying) Boonruen Choonhavan, the widow of the late Prime Minister General Chatichai Choonhavan
Chatichai Choonhavan
General Chatichai Choonhavan was the Prime Minister of Thailand from 1988 to 1991. He was the only son of Field Marshal Phin Choonhavan, and is of Thai Chinese descent with ancestry from Chenghai District...
.
Accession to the throne
While Mom Sangwal and her 3 children were living in Switzerland, King Prajadhipok (Rama VII)Prajadhipok
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Prajadhipok Phra Pok Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VII was the seventh monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was the last absolute monarch and the first constitutional monarch of the country. His reign was a turbulent time for Siam due to huge political...
) abdicated on 2 March 1934, relinquishing his right to appoint an heir to the throne, a year after they arrived in Switzerland,
According to the Palace Law
1924 Palace Law of Succession
The Palace Law on Succession, BE 2467 governs succession to the Throne of the Kingdom of Thailand, under the ruling House of Chakri. The law was established during the reign of King Vajiravudh to systematically resolve previous succession controversies...
regarding succession to the throne as promulgated by King Vajiravudh
Vajiravudh
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramentharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Phra Bat Somdet Phra Ramathibodi Si Sintharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VI was the sixth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1910 until his death...
in 1924, the next line was the son of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Prince of Songkla Nagarindra
Mahidol Adulyadej
Mahitaladhibes Adulyadejvikrom, the Prince Father , or officially styled Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla was the father of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. He was also regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health of Thailand...
. Thus His Highness Prince Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol was the eighth monarch of Thailand under the House of Chakri. At the time he was recognized as king by the National Assembly, in March 1935, he was a nine-year-old boy living in Switzerland. He returned to Thailand in December 1945. Six months later, in June 1946, he was found shot...
, as yet only 9 years old, was declared the 8th monarch of the Chakri Dynasty.
Since the new king was only 9 years old, Parliament unanimously appointed Prince Aditya Dibabha Abhakara
Aditya Dibabha Abhakara
Prince Aditya Dibabha Abhakara was a member of the Thai Royal Family and a Siamese political figure. He served as Chairman of the Regency Council between the years 1935 and 1944, as King Ananda Mahidol was still a minor....
(son of Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse, the Prince of Chumphorn
Abhakara Kiartiwongse
Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, Prince of Chumphon, , was the 28th child of King ChulalongkornHis familiar other names, Sadej Tia or Doctor Phon or Prince of Chumphon, will command deep respect from Thai people from navy officers to rural villagers.He spent his early years studying Naval...
) and Lord (Chao Phraya) Yomaraj (Pan Sukhum) as Regents until the king came to age. On this same occasion, Mom Sangwal was conferred the title of The Princess Mother Sri Sangwal, a title that still denoted her commoner status.
For various reasons including security in line with their new status, the family moved from their former home to a new house, names Villa Vadhana in Pully, near Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
.
The king and his younger brother, Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
went to a school called Ecole Nouvélle de la Suisse Romande. Although in his own country he was king, at school in Switzerland he was simple Ananda Mahidol, son of Madame S. Mahidol, a student receiving no more privileges than any other student here.
Return to Thailand
3 years later ascending the throne, the young King Ananda Mahidol returned to visit his country and his people for the first time. Upon their return, Princess Sri Sangwal was elevated to the ranks of royalty with the title Her Royal Highness. Throughout the 2 months that the young king appeared in the midst of his people, the Thais had a chance to admire his maturity and his demeanor, which was most becoming to a monarch and far beyond his years. For this, they could only credit the Princess Mother; she had moulded a monarch worthy of obeisance and respect single-handed.The Princess Mother also took advantage of this brief sojourn in their homeland to make sure that the king saw as much as he could of the important temples and historic sites in Bangkok and the environs, and of the national arts and culture. She also kindled his desire to help others, to contribute to charitable projects including public health and medicine. The king donated a sum from his Privy Purse to build the Ananda Mahidol Hospital in Lopburi Province
Lopburi Province
Lop Buri is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Phetchabun, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Saraburi, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Sing Buri and Nakhon Sawan.-Geography:...
, while his siblings donated toward a health centre in Samut Sakhon Province
Samut Sakhon Province
Samut Sakhon ) is one of the central provinces of Thailand.Neighboring provinces are Samut Songkhram, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom and Bangkok.- Etymology :...
.
In January 1939, King Ananda Mahidol and his family bade farewell once again to their homeland and returned to Switzerland.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939 has its repercussions on Mahidol Family just as on anyone else, and the Princess Mother’s resourcefulness helped the family through the crisis. They received ration coupons like other Swiss families; they had to use ash for washing instead of soap, and the young king travelled to school by bicycle. The Princess Mother made her own jam from fruit such as strawberries, apples and pears that she picked from her own garden.
But even during such trying times, she kept up her late husband’s tradition of inviting Thai students round for meals on Saturdays. The increasing number of Thai students in Switzerland, who had moved there from war-torn Belgium, France, and Italy, meant that they had to take turns as guests of the Princess Mother. Her support to the students extended to lending, or even giving, them money if their funds from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
arrived late, though she always managed to keep the family going even when her own funds were delayed as well.
The young king and his brother remained at Ecole Nouvélle de la Suisse Romande until 1941, boarding at the school during their last 2 years there, since it was their mother’s wish for them to learn how to take care of themselves. Meanwhile, Princess Galyani Vadhana was attending an international school in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
.
The Princess Mother also made a point of hiring an English governess to teach English to the king. She also made sure her children kept up with their Thai language and culture studies with a tutor, Prueng Siribhatra, who was sent by the Thai Government
Politics of Thailand
The politics of Thailand are currently conducted within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government and a hereditary monarch is head of state. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches.Thai kingdoms and late...
. The family lived in Switzerland until all children graduated. They prepared for their official return to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Official return to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, this time travelling by plane. 6 days later, they arrived in Thailand. As they stepped off the plane, that Thai public witnessed, not two young schoolboys dressed in shorts as they had the previous time, but two mature and dignified young men, happy to be back among their own, yet, understandably apprehensive about the responsibilities and expectations that lay ahead.
Princess Mother Sri Sangwal, on the other hand, seemed more at ease than ever before. At the age of 45, she had successfully directed the paths of her children until they were all intelligent and responsible adults, commanding the awe, admiration and respect of the Thai people. King Ananda Mahidol especially was ready to take on the huge burden placed upon his shoulders. Everywhere the king went, his mother and younger brother would be close by. Having grown up in a faraway land, there was much for them to see and learn about their country and their culture, and the Princess Mother made sure that all their questions were answered.
Death of King Ananda Mahidol and Accession of Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej
The Thai GovernmentPolitics of Thailand
The politics of Thailand are currently conducted within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government and a hereditary monarch is head of state. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches.Thai kingdoms and late...
requested that the king postpone his return to Switzerland in order to present the new Constitution to the nation on 9 May 1946, and to open Parliament on 1 June. He acquiesced, and the return trip to Switzerland was scheduled for 13 June 1946. But the trip was not to be, for an unforeseen calamity befell the nation. On the morning of 9 June 1946, only 4 days before he was due to travel to Switzerland, His Majesty King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) of Thailand died in an incident of either regicide or suicide at Boromphiman Throne Hall, Grand Palace, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. Though Siamese police director general originally told an emergency session of the legislature that the King's death was accidental, experts have since testified that regicide is the most likely due to King Ananda Mahidol being found flat on his back with his colt found a small distance from his body but nearer his non dominant hand. In February 1955, three of the late King's attendants: his secretary Senator Chaleo Patoomros and two pages, Nai Chit and Butr Paramasrin, were executed by Phibun's regime on charges of conspiracy to kill the King after long and confusing trial. Today it is acknowledged that these charges were probably baseless, but the truth of the matter remains a mystery that is not discussed within Thailand.
On the same day as King Ananda Mahidol's death, by Parliament’s unanimous decision, Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
, her second son was invited to accede to the throne as King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) of Thailand, the ninth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty
Return to Switzerland
On 19 August 1946, the Princess Mother accompanied the new king back to Switzerland, where he resumed his studies at the University of LausanneUniversity of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
. He switched his choice of subjects from science to political science, law and economics, in order to better suit his new priorities.
During that time, the Princess Mother once more dedicated herself to her role of “housekeeper” of the Villa Vadhana residence, seeing to it that everything ran smoothly. She preferred to do things by herself, even driving on shopping rounds. After lunch, she would spend her time in the garden, digging the flower beds, pruning the bushes and sweeping the leaves. She would also attend lectures on topics of interest at the University of Lausanne
University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
. On days off from college, the king and his mother would go on drives out of Lausanne or to neighbouring countries such as Italy, France, and Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
, visiting various places of interest or just enjoying the peace and quiet of the countryside. On these trips, the Princess Mother would often stop by the road and pick wild flowers to take back home.
On 4 October 1948, King Bhumibol Adulyadej was badly hurt in a motoring accident, requiring hospitalization. The Princess Mother committed herself to nursing her son back to health. Fear and anxiety for her son, together with the physical strain, must have taken their toll, and doctors eventually advised her to take a break in the country.
Not long afterwards, on 12 August 1949, the Thai people received joyful news that the King had become engaged to Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara
Sirikit
Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat , is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand...
, the eldest daughter of His Serene Highness Prince (Mom Chao) Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara
Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara
|align=right|Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara , was the eldest son of Prince Kitiyakara Voralaksana, Prince of Chanthaburi and Princess Apsarasaman Kitiyakara...
(later became His Highness the Prince of Chuntaburi II Suranath), the Thai ambassador of the Court of St. James's
Court of St. James's
The Court of St James's is the royal court of the United Kingdom. It previously had the same function in the Kingdom of England and in the Kingdom of Great Britain .-Overview:...
, England, and Mom Luang Bua Sanidvongse.
Serving the Kingdom
Throughout her long life, The Princess Mother served her country, providing her full support to her sons, the late King Ananda MahidolAnanda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol was the eighth monarch of Thailand under the House of Chakri. At the time he was recognized as king by the National Assembly, in March 1935, he was a nine-year-old boy living in Switzerland. He returned to Thailand in December 1945. Six months later, in June 1946, he was found shot...
and King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
, and to her daughter Princess Galyani Vadhana
Galyani Vadhana
Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas , was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej...
, while carving out her own role in activities of social concern.
When King Bhumibol Adulyadej returned to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
from his studies in Switzerland in 1951 with his wife, Queen Sirikit, and their first daughter, Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, the Princess Mother remained in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
. She returned only periodically between 1952 to 1963 in order to attend significant functions or events, such as the birth of her grandchildren, the illness and subsequent death of Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Grandmother
Savang Vadhana
Queen Savang Vadhana of Siam was a consort of King Chulalongkorn or Rama V. Her full name and title was Queen Sri Savarindira - thus she was not the Rajini , but just was a highest consort...
, or the ordination of her son, the King. For these visits, she would stay only one or two months at a time, and only stayed for extended periods when the occasion demanded. On Their Majesties’ state visit to 14 European countries and the United States in 1960, she remained in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
for 6 months, acting as Regent during Their Majesties’ absence, just as she did during their subsequent state visits overseas until 1967.
Regency
As Regent, the Princess Mother carried out various official duties on behalf of the King, including acceping diplomatic credentials from newly posted ambassadors, conferring degrees on university graduates, presiding at religious ceremonies and putting her signature to several important legislative acts. She was the third woman Regent of the Rattanakosin era, the first being Queen Saovabha Bongsri during the reign of King ChulalongkornChulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
(later became Queen Sri Bajrindra, the Queen Mother), and Queen Sirikit
Sirikit
Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat , is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand...
early on in the present reign. In the capacity, she put her signature to a number of important laws and declarations, including the Suppression of Prostitution Act of 1960, and the first National Economic Development Plan, 1961–1966.
A trip to northern Thailand in 1964 helped change her routine. Not long after the Bhubing Palace
Bhubing Palace
Bhubing Palace is a Royal Residence located Doi Buak Ha, Muang District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. It was built in 1961 to accommodate the royal family during state visits to the north of the country. There is also a guesthouse for receiving foreign dignitaries...
on the northern town of Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai is the second-largest province of Thailand, located in the north of the country. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Tak, and Mae Hong Son. In the north it borders Shan State of Burma...
was completed, the King invited the Princess Mother for a visit. As was her habit in Switzerland, the Princess Mother went for long treks through the woods behind the palace, enjoying the flora and fauna, and stopping in the little villages en route. It was then that she discovered the abject poverty of the villages in remote areas. There was a sad luck of schools and health services or personnel, and even the border patrol police, who acted as guides and also provided security fro her on the trips, were very poorly paid, and receive no per diem for services rendered over and above their normal duties.
Due to those observations revealing the precarious economical situation of the rural areas, the Princess Mother began making regular visits to the remotest areas of the kingdom, starting from 1964, despite her age of 64 years. In border areas, she would make it a point to visit each patrol station to lend moral support to the soldiers.
This was also the start of a number of projects to alleviate the problems of poor villages and improve their quality of life. Ranging from education and health care, to environmental preservation, the social welfare projects have over the decades proved to be a unifying force for those in remote areas and have helped upgrade their lives.
Social Welfare Projects
Ever since she was still a young mother caring for her 3 children in the confines of the new villa in Srapathum Palace, the Princess Mother proved that Thai housewives could make good use of their time and contribute to society. In 1932, when her children had started school and she had more time on her hands, she set up an American-style “Sewing-circle”, inviting close acquaintances to join the group. Among the members of the circle were Mom Chao Sipphanphansanur Sohnakul, Thanpuying Prayong Sanidvongs na Ayudhya, Khunying Chalaem Puranasiri, Khunying Srivisarnvaja, Khunying Prem, Damrongbaedyakhun, Thanpuying Poa Anurakshraja mondira, and expatriate wives such as Mrs. Zimmerman, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Langesen, Mrs. Nederguard, Mrs. Pendleton and Mrs. Reeve, whose husbands were missionaries or lecturer at Chulalongkorn UniversityChulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
.
The sewing circle members started off by making their own clothes, then gradually made clothes for poor children at various hospitals. They met once a week, each member taking turns hosting tea at home between 4 and 6 pm.
It soon became a procedure for the Princess Mother to set aside her own money to purchase necessary items for poor villages during her increasingly frequent upcountry visits. These gifts included T-shirts, towels, multipurpose “pha khao ma” cloth, and stationary for schoolteachers, school uniforms, and stationery for schoolchildren, and pha khao ma, sarongs, needles and thread, medicine, tinned food and dried foodstuff for villagers, while small children would receive various toys suitable for their age.
She also set up with her own personal funds a number of foundations, most notably the Border Patrol Police Support Foundation, and the New Life Foundation for those who have recovered from leprosy or mental illness.
Apart from her own personal funds, the money for these various projects came from the sale of handicraft made through projects initiated by the Princess Mother, such as pressed-flower greeting cards, which was ner hobby, and brooms and brushes made from the sisal hemp, which became a very popular product.
In 1985, the Cabinet approved the proposal of the National Committee for the Promotion and Development of Social Welfare Activities that 21 October, the Princess Mother’s birthday, be declared National Social Welfare Day, in honour of the Princess Mother, who devoted her time and efforts, in addition to her own funds, to well-being of the people. As she was also a nurse, it has since been renamed National Nurses' Day (TH: วันพยาบาลแห่งชาติ Wan Phayaban Haeng Chat).
Education
For the Princess Mother, education had always been a goal in life. This love for education also fulled her desire to encourage, not only her own children, but the people she came in contact with, to further their studies to the best of their abilities. To this end, she continuously provided support when and where she could, most significantly in remote areas which the network of the central government could not reach.Being a scholarship student herself, the Princess Mother was known to have provided scholarships as far back as 1920, not long after her marriage to Prince Mahidol Adulyadej
Mahidol Adulyadej
Mahitaladhibes Adulyadejvikrom, the Prince Father , or officially styled Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla was the father of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. He was also regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health of Thailand...
. The Bangkok Times issue of 21 September 1920 listed the names of donors to the Kullasatri Wang Lang School, which included the newly-weds, who had donated 5,000 baht. The publication noted that Mom Sangwal Mahidol na Ayudhya, having married into the Royal Family, was entitled to an annual stipend of 200 baht, and that she had decided to donate it in its entirely to needy students.
Her students as a scholarship student had been under the direction of Prince Mahidol. Her studies included algebra, English, Latin and French, in addition to her courses in nursing and public health. She also received tutorials in psychology, cooking and nutrition.
Through the influence of her royal husband, she had always considered it her responsibility to return to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
to help the nation. This sense of responsibility was also instilled in the hearts of her three children from the time they were small. According to Princess Galyani Vadhana
Galyani Vadhana
Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas , was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej...
:
Although her children were brought up in a western environment, the Princess Mother always made sure that they retained their contacts with their language and culture. She commissioned a jigsaw puzzle in the shape of a map of Thailand as an educational toy for her children. History and geography quizzes were a standard family game at mealtimes, and if the children did not know the answer to a question, they had to look up in a dictionary or encyclopedia.
This kind of environment created by the Princess Mother was greatly conductive to inquisitive minds like those of the three royal children, encouraging them to strive for the best in whatever happened to interest them. When the two young princes became interested in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
battleships, they would each study the subjects matter in depth, the elder prince researching German battelships while his younger brother read up on English and American vessels.
One of the Princess Mother’s initiatives with regard to education was the Border Patrol Police School project. As a result of her frequent trips to the remote corners of the kingdom, the Princess Mother learned of the extreme poverty of the villagers, especially those belonging to the hill tribes. One school had been set up by the Border Patrol Police Region 5 in their Dararasmi Camp, in Mae Rim District Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai is the second-largest province of Thailand, located in the north of the country. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Tak, and Mae Hong Son. In the north it borders Shan State of Burma...
. The school provided access to education for children in these remote regions, giving hilltribe children a chance to learn the Thai language and culture and instilling in them a sense of being Thai.
The concept was in line with the Princess Mother’s own philosophy that education was the key to improving human resources, a necessary development tool. She therefore took the school under her royal patronage in 1964, and donated funds to the Border Patrol Police to set up similar school in remote areas. The private sector found this to be a worthy cause, and contributed its share in setting up more schools, which were named after their donors.
Each school – and there were eventually to be 185 – had power classrooms and a proper residence for teachers for added convenience and incentive. She personally went to open each of these schools, donating to them a set of symbolic items to bolster a sense of Thai identity, including a Buddha image to symbolize religion, a portrait of the King or the Queen as an emblem of the monarchy, and a flag to represent the nation. She also made sure that each school was equipped with a radio set to keep up with the news, and a map of Thailand to give students a sense of belonging no matter where in the country they were located.
Public Health
To the princess mother, the health and well-being of her people were highest on the list of priorities. She believed that, with good health, they would be in the position to earn an income and help develop the country – a philosophy that echoed that of her royal husband, Prince Mahidol AdulyadejMahidol Adulyadej
Mahitaladhibes Adulyadejvikrom, the Prince Father , or officially styled Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla was the father of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. He was also regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health of Thailand...
, who had pledged his mental, physical and financial support to the field of public health of the country.
Upon the death of Prince Mahidol, the Princess Mother continued to provide scholarships to medical students so their studies would not be interrupted. When they returned to work, she also supplemented their salary if it happened to be lower than the set rate. A revolving fund of 500,000 baht was provided to Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
for 25 years, from which the interest could be used to send students for post-graduate studies overseas. After 25 years, the fund was transferred to the Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital
Siriraj Hospital
Siriraj Hospital is the oldest hospital in Thailand, located in Bangkok on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus...
.
In 1945, as she accompanied her elder son, King Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol was the eighth monarch of Thailand under the House of Chakri. At the time he was recognized as king by the National Assembly, in March 1935, he was a nine-year-old boy living in Switzerland. He returned to Thailand in December 1945. Six months later, in June 1946, he was found shot...
, back to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, she brought back with her drug PAS which was used to treat tuberculosis.
In addition to providing scholarships, the Princess Mother continued to play a major role in the field of nursing in Thailand. She founded the Thailand Nursing Association, of which she was also a board member. With her funds, the first national nursing convention in Thailand was organized in 1960. Hospital building and nursing schools were built under her patronage
The Princess Mother’s Volunteer Doctors
Since 1964, when trips to remote areas to visit villagers and army personnel became a routine procedure, she was how people there were plagued by health problems, Due to the lack of medical facilities, such basic illness as gastro-intestinal infections, tape worms, skin diseases and malaria would often lead to death.In 1969, she established the first medical volunteer mobile unit in Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai is the second-largest province of Thailand, located in the north of the country. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Tak, and Mae Hong Son. In the north it borders Shan State of Burma...
, called The Princess Mother’s Medical Volunteer. The team was made up of doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and health officers, who volunteered their time during weekends to travel by car or helicopter to treat the ill, and offer consultative services to the public free of charge.
All expenses for these visits were subsidized by the Princess Mother. If she happened to be on the trip with the medical team, she would help fill the prescriptions and provide advice to the sick. Those in critical condition would be sent to local hospitals. Later, she experimented with the system of radio consultation between doctors in the hospital and patients at health centres in remote areas, following the system of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia is an emergency and primary health care service for those living in rural, remote and regional areas of Australia...
.
The project was well received, and within a few years the number of radio centres increased to 446 covering 25 provinces, with the centre of operations at Srapathum Palace. Over a million patients have benefited from this service.
In 1974, the Princess Mother donated one million baht to establish The Princess Mother’s Volunteer Flying Doctor Foundation, which was subsequently changed into The Princess Mother’s Volunteer Foundation; PMMV in 1985. Through the years, the foundation was to remain close to her heart, much like a mother who brings up a baby into a fully grown adult but still continues to keep a watchful eye on him in his maturity.
The Prostheses Foundation and the Breast Foundation which both under the Patronage of the Princess Mother, were two projects that the Princess Mother initiated in her later years. The Prostheses Foundation was set up in 1992, when she learned that a doctor from Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University is a public research university in northern Thailand founded in 1964 with a strong emphasis on engineering, science, and agriculture. Its instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education offered through resident instruction...
had developed below knee prostheses from recycled plastic bottles which cost only 700 baht, and ones that could be used for agricultural purposes at a mere 300 baht. She saw this as an opportunity to provide artificial limbs free of charge to the poor to enable them to carry out a normal life. With initial funds donated by the Princess Mother, and further donations from her daughter, Princess Galyani Vadhana
Galyani Vadhana
Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas , was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej...
, and the general public, the foundation is now able to offer here artificial limbs to the needy regardless of nationality or religion. It also trains personnel, and carries out research to improve the quality of the protheses.
Environmental Preservation
She had deep interests in issues of nature. In winter she enjoyed skiing down the snowy slopes, while in summer she would spend hours trekking along the hillsides, picking wild flowers for decoration or for making into pressed flowers.In 1964, at the age of 64, she hiked to the top of Doi Inthanon
Doi Inthanon
Doi Inthanon ) is the highest mountain in Thailand. It is located in Mae Chaem District. The mountain was also known in the past as Doi Luang or Doi Ang Ka, meaning the crow's pond top. Near the mountain's base was a pond where many crows gathered...
, Thailand’s highest peak locates in Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai is the second-largest province of Thailand, located in the north of the country. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Tak, and Mae Hong Son. In the north it borders Shan State of Burma...
. She had been used to taking walks from Bhubing Palace
Bhubing Palace
Bhubing Palace is a Royal Residence located Doi Buak Ha, Muang District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. It was built in 1961 to accommodate the royal family during state visits to the north of the country. There is also a guesthouse for receiving foreign dignitaries...
, accompanied by border control police and two physicians. Soon she left that she had covered all she could within the immediate vicinity, and yearned to conquer Doi Inthanon, which was visible from the palace windows. In those days there was no access road to the top, and the Princess Mother spent two nights camping out during her hike, the first night before the ascent at Pang Somdet, and the following night at Ban Pha Mon. Here a large number of hilltribe villagers turned up to welcome her. Again, their lack of access to medical care gave her cause for concern. When she returned the following year, she brought with her two doctors, and her visits to these remote areas by helicopter eventually earned her the name Mae Fah Luang among the hill tribes, meaning Royal Mother from the sky, referring to her descent from the skies with doctors, nurses, medical equipment, food and clothing for them.
The mulitple visits of the hill tribes her realize that their slash-and-burn system of cultivation had inadvertently caused the destruction of the watershed forests. Over the years, they had moved from place to place, leaving behind them patches of barren hillside.
She initiated the Doi Tung Development Project. I shall plant forests on Doi Tung, she pledged. In 1988, a total of 93,515 rai (14,962 ha.) in Mae Chan, Mae Sai, and Mae Fah Luang District of Chiang Rai Province
Chiang Rai Province
Chiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Shan State of Myanmar and Bokeo of Laos.-Geography:...
were targeted for reforestation and sustainable development to improve the quality of life of the local villagers.
The Princess Mother played an active role in the Doi Tung Development Project, starting from nursing the saplings herself, planting the forests with support from government and the private sector. Surrounding the palace are also experimental plots where temperate crops are tested, such as Arabica coffee beans from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, macadamia nuts and chestnuts. New plant-nursery technology is constantly being introduced for the promulgation of asparagus, bananas, orchids and strawberries. After successful trials, villagers are trained in the procedures to follow, and these extra activities are expected to provide them with an increased income.
A Drug Rehabilitation Centre was also set up so addicts could be treated and provided with vocational training to suit their way of life. Mulberry trees, the fibre of which is used to make sa paper, is just one of the crops they are encouraged to plant and grow.
A Mother First and Foremost
While her children were growing up as members of the Royal Family in the days of absolute monarchy, it would have been so easy for the Princess Mother to bring them up to life of privilege, surrounded by attentive staff eager to follow orders. But that was not the way of Prince MahidolMahidol Adulyadej
Mahitaladhibes Adulyadejvikrom, the Prince Father , or officially styled Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla was the father of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. He was also regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health of Thailand...
or his wife.
Princess Galyani Vadhana
Galyani Vadhana
Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas , was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej...
described her upbringing as being very much in the vein of any normal family, where the children are taught to be respectful of grown-ups, to be responsible in their duties, and to expect punishment when they are naughty. Coral punishment was applicable as the last resort. First-time mistake would be discussed, and explanations given. However, if the children still persisted despite reasons and warnings, then punishment would be meted out. Often the Princess Mother would even discuss with the offender what level of punishment they thought deserved. Then they would grimly face the consequences.
Princess Galyani Vadhana recounted a particular episode in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
when Prince Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol was the eighth monarch of Thailand under the House of Chakri. At the time he was recognized as king by the National Assembly, in March 1935, he was a nine-year-old boy living in Switzerland. He returned to Thailand in December 1945. Six months later, in June 1946, he was found shot...
, despite frequent warnings persisted in picking on a youngster who was the son of the caretaker. On this particular occasion, Prince Ananda Mahidol pushed the boy near some stairs, which could have led to a disastrous outcome.
The exasperated mother said to her son;
And with that, the punishment was carried out. Prince Ananda never picked on the little boy again.
The children had been taught from a young age to be thrifty. They each received weekly pocket money, the amount depending on their age, but never more than was necessary to buy themselves some sweets or chocolates. Other items, such as books and toys, also had to come out of their own pocket money; the Princess Mother only indulged them on special occasions like birthdays.
A sense of frugality was something that the Princess Mother practiced throughout her life. Even when she was in a position to pamper herself a little, she preferred to maintain her simple was of life. Her meals were simple dishes that emphasized nutritional value. She only had new clothes made when necessary, usually two outfits a year. She wore very little jewelry. A simple bracelet made of nine gemstones was the extent of her accessories; she said it went with any outfit. She also wore one particular ring – a diamond ring with her Thai initials “Sor Vor” (th: ส.ว.) etched on top. The initials stood for “Savang Vadhana” (th: สว่างวัฒนา), the given name of Queen Sri Savarindira
Savang Vadhana
Queen Savang Vadhana of Siam was a consort of King Chulalongkorn or Rama V. Her full name and title was Queen Sri Savarindira - thus she was not the Rajini , but just was a highest consort...
who had given her the ring.
Manners were an integral part of character-moulding. The children had always been taught to respect their elders and behave properly with other people, and this remained the same despite the change in their status later in life. Along with manners came spirituality and religion. Though she learned about Christianity during her years in the United States, she remained a devout Buddhist, and brought her children up in the Buddhist faith as well. However, she was clever enough to introduce western religious rites such as bedtime prayers into their daily routine to make Buddhism more accessible to them. Instead of the usual Sanskrit incantations, they said their prayers in Thai, asking the Lord Buddha to protect them and lead then down the good and righteous path. Prayers would them be supplemented by stories on the life of the Buddha.
To encourage them to be aware of their responsibilities, the children were expected to do their chores like any other children. They had to keep their rooms clean and even the young king had to make his own bed when he was in Lausanne. This habit remained in later years. When King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
was living overseas, he would drive, wash and even polish his own car without anyone’s assistance. Similarly, after his music sessions, he would insist on putting away his own musical instruments and wiping them himself.
Her way of bringing up the children held her in great respect from Queen Sri Savarindira
Savang Vadhana
Queen Savang Vadhana of Siam was a consort of King Chulalongkorn or Rama V. Her full name and title was Queen Sri Savarindira - thus she was not the Rajini , but just was a highest consort...
, who had nothing but praise for her daughter-in-law. As Princess Galyani Vadhana
Galyani Vadhana
Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas , was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej...
noted;
Stargazer
According to Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra’s book Busy Fingers, the Princess Mother had always shown an interest in astronomy;On boat trips, the Princess Mother was known to have enjoyed standing on deck at night, gazing at the stars without the use of a telescope. When the navy officials had explained the names of the constellations to her in Thai and English, she would give their French and Latin names, then proceed to astonish the officials with her knowledge of further constellations, until quite late into the night.
Her interest in astronomy remained a lifelong passion and was reflected in several of her other activities. The constellations appeared as part of her ceramics painting, on lamps, ashtrays and dishes, often in the form of flowers representing the stars, with the number of petals and the colours representing the magnitude of each star.
Her love of astronomy was evident in her Doi Tung Royal Villa. The ceiling of the main reception hall is decorated with the constellations as designed by the Bangkok Planetarium. I want a ceiling for the hall that is inexpensive, she instructed, opting for a carving of the solar system and the 12 signs of the zodiac, and 12 constellations rather than a crystal chandelier. Each star was represented by a light bulb giving off a comparative magnitude of light. Wood carvings of other constellations also adorned her private balcony and some of doors.
Flower for the Princess
The Princess Mother had a passion for flowers. It was a defining characteristic that dominated her life from her youth through to her later years. This love of flowers reflected a sensitivity and a concern for nature that was not just enjoyment of its aesthetic qualities, but included the need to care and nurture them into full bloom with the same kind of attention and concern that she gave to her role as mother, and every other project in her lifetime.Her technique for pressing flowers was to put them between sheets of newsprint and tissue paper and toilet rolls, and cover them with some heavy books. She would also write the common and scientific names of the flowers, and the date, on the newsprint.
This particular activity was not simply for pleasure and decorative purposes. As most of her other activities, it became an educational process, not only for herself but also for others. She collected the pressed flowers into an album, indicating the names in both French and Latin and the documented the location where they were picked, the altitude and the date.
Camera Buff
Another hobby since she was a nursing student at Siriraj HospitalSiriraj Hospital
Siriraj Hospital is the oldest hospital in Thailand, located in Bangkok on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus...
was photography. When she arrived in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and started receiving her own pocket money of US$5 a month, she saved up to buy her own box camera. She experimented with different photographic techniques, such as double exposure, and would continuously upgrade her equipment were subjects for her camera, and as a result the country has extensive records of their two kings as children. In 1928, her interest was drawn to the movie camera. She was among the 50 members of the Amateur Cinematographic Society set up by King Prajadhipok
Prajadhipok
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Prajadhipok Phra Pok Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VII was the seventh monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was the last absolute monarch and the first constitutional monarch of the country. His reign was a turbulent time for Siam due to huge political...
at Chitralada Palace
Chitralada Palace
Chitralada Palace is the Bangkok residence of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. King Bhumibol was the first king in the Chakri dynasty to live in the Chitralda Palace. He moved there after the death of his older brother, King Rama VIII in the Grand Palace...
. Here she would show her own home movies to the other members.
The hobby was adopted by both her sons.
Sporting Activities
The Princess Mother was always fond of outdoor activities. Apart from trekking along mountainsides enjoying the natural environment, she was an avid skier. It was a sport she used to enjoy with her children when they were in Switzerland. BadmintonBadminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
and horseback riding were also regular activities, and she continued riding well into her seventies. She only gave up badminton when she was 70, and skiing when she was 80. In later years, she would enjoy a game of pétanque
Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
, which was good exercise for different parts of her body and her joints.
Through her knowledge of health care and nutrition, and regular exercise, the Princess Mother retained good health. A physical examination in 1988 showed that she was in perfect condition. If you were to look at the medical report, her blood tests, blood pressure, pulse, etc., without knowing who the patient was, I guarantee that no one would have guessed her age correctly, as the results were no different from those of any strong and healthy young man or woman said Dr. Chek Dhanasiri, one of her physicians.
A Step Towards Sustainability
When the Princess Mother started making regular visits to villagers, officials, soldiers and police in the Thai border areas in 1966, the scene from her helicopter showed barren hillsides devoid of trees, with occasional shifting crops, weeds and opium poppies. From these visits, she learned of the nomadic lifestyles of the villagers who had to grow crops through slash-and-burn cultivation methods whivh unwittingly destroyed the natural environment, the watershed forests, resulting in upsetting the ecological balance.I shall plant forests on Doi Tung. With those words, a royal initiative was found, launching an attempt to revert the mountain to its original state. The Princess Mother was also determined to improve the quality of life of the villagers, provide education and health services, means of a regular income, and an awareness of the need to preserve the environment.
Acting on this inspiration, the government under Prime Minister General Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
set up the Doi Tung Development Project in 1988 as a joint project between 7 ministries. The Princess Mother was approaching her 90th birthday, and the Thai people were concerned that her annual sojourns in Switzerland were becoming too taxing for hege. A house on Doi Tung
Doi Tung
Doi Tung , "Flag Mountain", is a mountain located in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.-Location:While not the highest elevation of the province, the 1389 m high Doi Tung rises steeply, standing quite isolated close to the Thailand-Burma border. It is located in the area known as "Golden...
would be the perfect solution; its location at 1,000 metres above sea level, with temperatures ranging between 17 and 24 degrees Celsius, its climate and the surrounding scenery were not unlike the cool, mountains setting of Villa Vadhana in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
.
Galyani Vadhana
Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas , was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej...
and Thanpuying Dhasanawalaya Sornsongkram
Dhasanawalaya Sornsongkram
Thanpuying Dasanavalaya Sorasongkram , is the only daughter of Princess Galyani Vadhana of Thailand and Colonel Aram Ratanakul Serireongrit.-Early life and education:Dasanavalaya Ratanakul Serireongrit was born on November 11, 1945 in Switzerland...
, and the reception hall.
Reflecting the Princess Mother’s deep interest in astronomy, the ceiling in the reception hall is carved in the image of the solar system, with clusters of the different star signs. Instead of the usual chandelier, the room is lit with bulbs representing the stars in the system. Walls are lined with Thai silk embroidered with flowers. Other decorative items are carvings of elephant herds in the forest, while the Thai alphabet lines the stairway to the lower level.
Behind the palace is a long balcony lined with flowers boxes. It is here that the Princess Mother spent many a happy hour tending to the flowers herself. The lower level are living and working quarters for countries. In front is a wide lawn with flower gardens, which affords a wonderful view of the mountain range that stretches as far as the eye can see.
The Princess Mother took up residence at the Doi Tung Royal Villa on 23 November 1990. This is my home she said. After all, her other palaces had been official royal residences. It was her first true home and, sadly, her last.
Just a decade later, as the smell of fragrant flowers waft on the breeze toward the palace, visitors can see the changes in Doi Tung
Doi Tung
Doi Tung , "Flag Mountain", is a mountain located in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.-Location:While not the highest elevation of the province, the 1389 m high Doi Tung rises steeply, standing quite isolated close to the Thailand-Burma border. It is located in the area known as "Golden...
. The hillsides are lush with watershed forests, commercial forests, and botanical gardens. Planting the seeds of awareness and responsibility in the people to help replant the forests and regenerate the environment on Doi Tung, as inspired by the Princess Mother, has achieved its goal. Apart from being the site of an experimental agricultural project, Doi Tung is now said to be one of the leading tourist destinations in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Mae Fah Luang Foundation
Parallel to the Princess Mother’s project on the greeing of Doi TungDoi Tung
Doi Tung , "Flag Mountain", is a mountain located in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.-Location:While not the highest elevation of the province, the 1389 m high Doi Tung rises steeply, standing quite isolated close to the Thailand-Burma border. It is located in the area known as "Golden...
was a plan to improve the quality of life of the local hilltribe villagers. No longer able to rely on their slash-and-burn method of cultivation, they needed alternative ways to feed themselves and earn an income. In 1972, the Princess Mother established the Hill Tribes Products Promotion Foundation with an initial donation of 100,00 baht. The foundation, based at Srapathum Palace in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, would promote and market the beautiful and distinct handicrafts produced by each village. The foundation also provided training to hilltribe youth to enable them to lead the development programme.
The Princess Mother donated more money to buy 2.3 hectares of land in Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai Province
Chiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Shan State of Myanmar and Bokeo of Laos.-Geography:...
, which became the centre for training in agriculture, weaving and dyeing. A Hill Tribe Youth Leadership Programme was set up to allow 50 youth to undergo training courses each year.
Death and Funeral
Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother was popular among the people of ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, not only for the royal position, but most of all for her dedication and numerous achievements initiated for the benefit of the people.
Princess Mother lived officially in Srapathum Palace, with her daughter, Princess Galyani Vadhana
Galyani Vadhana
Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Princess of Naradhiwas , was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej...
. In the middle of 1991, she apparently fell in her bedroom. She never entirely recovered from that accident. In November 1993, December 1994 and again in June 1995 she was admitted to the Siriraj Hospital
Siriraj Hospital
Siriraj Hospital is the oldest hospital in Thailand, located in Bangkok on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus...
for treatment. And in the end, Princess Srinagarindra died on 18 July 1995 at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, at the age of 94. She was one of the longest-living Thai royalty.
As her body lay in state within the ancient and cavernous hall of Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall, in the compound of the Grand Palace, mourners thronged to pay their final respects. These included not only members of the Royal Family, diplomats, government official, and those living within the confines of the capital city, but also hilltribe villagers from the far corners of the kingdom. They filed into Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
by car, by bus, by train, their black-clad figures covering the vast grounds of Sanam Luang
Sanam Luang
Sanam Luang is an open field and public square in front of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand. Sanam Luang is located in the Phra Nakhon district, the historic center of Bangkok....
with a dark blanket of sorrow and grief.
The Royal Cremation took place on 10 March 1996. For which an elaborately carved, the Royal Crematorium, or Phra Merumas, was built in the centre of Sanam Luang
Sanam Luang
Sanam Luang is an open field and public square in front of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand. Sanam Luang is located in the Phra Nakhon district, the historic center of Bangkok....
, symbolizing the mythical mountain abode of the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
gods. Crowds lined the street as the golden urn of rank was transported on the Royal Great Victory Carriage, or Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot. In a solemn procession from the Grand Palace to the Royal Crematorium. This Royal Cremation Ceremony was one of the biggest events Thailand has witnessed in modern times, attended by thousands of people and watched on television nation-worldwide.
The funeral pyre was lit by her son, King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
. After the cremation, the king collected his mother’s ashes to be afterwards enshrined nearby her husband Prince Mahidol Adulyadej
Mahidol Adulyadej
Mahitaladhibes Adulyadejvikrom, the Prince Father , or officially styled Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla was the father of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. He was also regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health of Thailand...
in the Rangsi Vadhana Memorial, Royal Cemetery, Wat Ratchabophit temple in Bangkok.
Titles
- 21 October 1900 – 17 August 1913; Miss Sangwan
- 17 August 1913 – 10 September 1920; Miss Sangwan Talapat
- 10 September 1920 – 16 November 1938; Mom Sangwan Mahidol na Ayudhya
- 16 November 1938 – 9 June 1970; Princess Mother Sri Sangwan
- 9 June 1970 – 18 July 1995; Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother
There is some confusion as to why the Princess Mother was never titled
Thai royal and noble titles
Thai royal and noble titles are the royal and noble styles signifying relationship to the King introduced by King Trailokanat, who reigned 1448 to 1488. The system is rooted in the Thai language equivalent of feudalism, .It is somewhat similar to that of peerage, but is complicated and usually not...
Queen Mother
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
, considering that she was the mother of two kings. Since her husband was never king and only had the title of a prince, she never ascended as a queen-consort, and was therefore she was given the title Princess Mother by her son.
Royal Decoration
Thai Honours Order of Precedence
State decorations awarded by Thailand take the form of orders and medals. This page lists them by order of precedence.-Royal decorations:# Knight and Dame of the Most Auspicious Order of the Rajamitrabhorn...
of Thailand:
-
_ribbon.png)
Dame of the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of ChakriOrder of the Royal House of ChakriThe Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri was established in 1882 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam to commemorate the Bangkok Centennial... -
_ribbon.png)
Dame of the Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine GemsOrder of the Nine GemsThe Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems was established in 1851 by King Rama IV of The Kingdom of Siam... -
_ribbon.png)
Dame Cross of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom KlaoOrder of Chula Chom KlaoThe Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao was established in 16 November 1873 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam to commemorate the 90th Jubilee of the Chakri Dynasty, and bears his Name... -
_ribbon.png)
Dame Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White ElephantOrder of the White ElephantThe Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant is the most awarded order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Siam.The Order consists of eight classes:... -
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Dame Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand -
_ribbon.png)
Dame Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Admirable Order of the DirekgunabhornOrder of the DirekgunabhornThe Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn was established by King Rama IX on 22 July 1991 to be bestowed upon those who have rendered devotional services to the Kingdom of Thailand.... -
_ribbon.png)
King Rama VIII Royal Cypher Medal (First Class) -
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King Rama IX the Great Royal Cypher Medal (First Class)