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SCMP Reporters

1. Does Malaysia have a king?
Since independence, the country’s monarchs have mainly performed ceremonial functions, but King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad has emerged as a major political force amid recent turmoil. Learn more

2. Who is the queen of Thailand?
Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn is married to Queen Suthida, but has a consort named Sineenat. Learn more

3. How do you marry a Malaysian prince?
A long line of Malaysian royals have married non-Malays, sometimes controversially. Learn more

4. Is Cambodia's royal family linked to China?
Why Cambodia’s royals need close China ties that are separate from Hun Sen’s government. Learn more

5. Does India have a royal family?
Since India abolished the monarchy in 1971, its royal families have had to grapple with the changing role of nobility in the modern world, many taking down-to-earth jobs as painters, hoteliers and photographers. Learn more

6. How influential is Malaysia's King?
The monarch has become increasingly influential in politics. Learn more

7. Have any Asian royals 'done a Megxit'?
In Japan, there is a tradition of royals giving up their titles when they marry commoners. Learn more

8. Who pays for the Thai monarchy?
The Crown Property Bureau, a quasi-governmental institution, manages the wealth of King Vajiralongkorn. Learn more

9. Where does Thailand’s king call home?
Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has a home in the Bavarian Alps. Learn more

10. What happened to Thailand's Queen Suthida?
In early 2021, Queen Suthida's month-long absence from public view raised anxieties among some diehard royalist supporters. Learn more

11. Who is the emperor of Japan?
After more than 30 years on the Chrysanthemum Throne, Emperor Akihito abdicated on April 30, 2019, making way for his son, Naruhito. Learn more

12. Which Asian countries are monarchies?
Monarchic rule was once the most common form of government across much of Asia, but today only six countries in East and Southeast Asia have monarchic rule. Learn more

13. "Who is Princess Norodom Pongsoriya?
The Gen Z Cambodian royal is popular in both Cambodia and China for her beauty and her brains. Learn more

14. Are Asia's royal families popular?
A new breed of social media-savvy royal is breathing new life into Asia's long love affair with its royal families. Learn more

15. Who is Thailand's king?
King Maha Vajiralongkorn was crowned on May 4, 2019, following the death of his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 2016. Learn more



Meet Japan’s young Prince Hisahito, next in line to the imperial throne 

Brunei celebrates Prince Abdul Mateen’s wedding

Thai army boycotts online retailer Lazada after video enrages royalists

What to know about (G)I-dle’s Minnie: the Thai-born K-pop idol is best friends with Blackpink’s Lisa, starred in Netflix’s So Not Worth It and has links to the Thai royal family

Asian Royalty

15 things you may not know about Asian Royalty

Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra and Swedish national Sofie Louise Johansson. Photo: Twitter

Malaysia‘s King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, left, meets Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin at the National Palace. Photo: Handout / AFP

Thai consort Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi greets royalists in Bangkok on November 1, 2020. Photo: Reuters

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and queen mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk greet people after arriving back in Cambodia after their recent trip to China, where they received a health check-up. Photo: AFP

Malaysia’s King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah called on MPs to support the country’s proposed budget. Photo: AFP

Princess Ubolratana alongside former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra last year. Photo: AP

Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida greet supporters outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok after presiding over a religious ceremony at a Buddhist temple inside the palace earlier this month. Photo: AFP

Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn has lived at the Bavarian Alps region since about 2007. Photo: Reuters

King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida at an event in November 2020. Photo: @thairoyalfamily/ Instagram

Japan’s Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. Photo: EPA

Crowns, jewels and regalia have long been associated with royalty the world over. Photo: AP

Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah marks his golden jubilee. Photo: AFP

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has called an election for February 24, but the coronation of the king may delay it for a few months. Photo: EPA

Akshita M Bhanj Deo, from the royal family of Mayurbhanj in Orissa, eastern India. Photo: Handout

Princess Pongsoriya of Cambodia, who completed her studies in China, is part of a new generation of Cambodian royals. Photo: Instagram@royalducambodge

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha receives flowers from supporters during his visit to a community in Samut Prakan province, Thailand in December 2018. Photo: EPA

Princess Nori admiring cherry blossoms before she got married. Photo: AFP

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida greet royalists at The Grand Palace in Bangkok. Photo: Reuters

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From the kings of Cambodia and Thailand to the Japanese emperor and the sultans of Malaysia and Brunei, here is everything you need to know about Asia's monarchies.


15 things you may not know about Asian Royalty

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}From the kings of Cambodia and Thailand to the Japanese emperor and the sultans of Malaysia and Brunei, here is everything you need to know about Asia's monarchies.

1. Does Malaysia have a king?

2. Who is the queen of Thailand?

3. How do you marry a Malaysian prince?

From the kings of Cambodia and Thailand to the Japanese emperor and the sultans of Malaysia and Brunei, here is everything you need to know about Asia's monarchies.