Who is Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi? 5 things to know about the Thai king’s former royal consort
She was in a polygynous relationship with Queen Suthida, but King Maha Vajiralongkorn has stripped the pilot and general major of her titles for ‘misbehaviour and disloyalty’
In an announcement released on the king’s behalf in Thailand’s royal Gazette, the palace stated Sineenat showed “disrespectful” behaviours and acted with the intention of supplanting Queen Suthida, prompting her dismissal.
But who is this woman behind the sudden fall from grace?
While public knowledge of Sineenat’s personal life is limited (as her official biography, which was released by the palace in August, has since been removed from the bureau of the royal household’s website), here’s what you should know about Sineenat.
Sineenat was the first person to be awarded the title of royal noble consort in nearly a century
While Thai monarchs have a history of electing royal consorts – who, in Thailand’s case, are official companions to the king, in addition to his wife – the title has not been used since the country became a constitutional monarchy in 1932. The last king to publicly take a consort was King Rama VI, who ruled from 1910 to 1925.
The title of consort placed Sineenat in a polygynous relationship with Queen Suthida, 41, Vajiralongkorn’s fourth wife.
Sineenat has been seen publicly by the king’s side for a few years now