Saovabha Phongsri

Sri Bajarindra
Queen consort of Siam
Tenure	1878 – 23 October 1910
Born	(1864-01-01)1 January 1864 Grand Palace, Bangkok, Siam
Died	20 October 1919(1919-10-20) (aged 55) Grand Palace, Bangkok, Siam
Spouse	Chulalongkorn (Rama V)
Issue	Bahurada Manimaya Vajiravudh (Rama VI) Tribejrutama Dhamrong Chakrabongse Bhuvanath Siriraj Kakudhabhand Asdang Dejavudh Chudadhuj Dharadilok Prajadhipok (Rama VII)
House	Chakri Dynasty
Father	Mongkut (Rama IV)
Mother	Piam Sucharitakul

Royal wives of Chulalongkorn

Sunanda Kumariratana

Sukhumala Marasri

Savang Vadhana

Saovabha Phongsri

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

Life

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

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

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

The Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute was named after her.

Children

She had 9 children with King Chulalongkorn:

Name	Birth	Death	Spouse	Children
Bahurada Manimaya, Princess Debanariratana	19 December 1878	27 August 1887
Vajiravudh, King Rama VI	1 January 1880	25 November 1925	Prueng Sucharitakul	None
			Princess Vannabimol Varavan	None
			Prabai Sucharitakul	None
			Khrueakaeo Abhayavongsa	Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda
Tribejrutama Dhamrong	8 February 1881	22 November 1887
Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, Prince of Phitsanulok	3 March 1883	13 June 1920	Ekaterina Ivanovna Desnitskaya	Prince Chula Chakrabongse
			Princess Javalit Obhas Rabibadhana	None
Siriraj Kakudhabhand	27 November 1885	3 May 1887
unnamed princess	13 December 1884
Asdang Dejavudh, Prince of Nakhon Rajasima	12 May 1889	9 February 1924	Paew Suddhiburana	None
Chudadhuj Dharadilok, Prince of Bejraburana	5 July 1892	8 July 1923	La-o Sirisambandh	Princess Sudasiri Sobha
			Ravi Kayananda	Prince Varananda Dhavaj
			Princess Bunchiradhorn Jumbala	None
Prajadhipok, King Rama VII	8 November 1893	30 May 1941	Princess Rambhai Barni Svastivatana	None

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

Ancestors

Ancestors of Saovabha Phongsri
16. (=22.) Thongdi 8. Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke 17. (=23.) Daorueng 4. Buddha Loetla Nabhalai 18. Thong Na Bangxang 9. Amarindra 19. Rup Sirisophak Maha Naknari 2. Mongkut 20. 10. Ngoen Saetan 21. 5. Sri Suriyendra 22. (=16.) Thongdi 11. Kaew, Princess Srisudarak 23. (=17.) Daorueng 1. Saovabha Phongsri 6. Tang Sucharitakul 3. Piyamavadi 7. Nag Sucharitakul

Honors

File:Royal Monogram of Queen Saovabha.svg

Royal Monogram of Queen Saovabha

National

• The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri
• The Ancient and Auspicious of Order of the Nine Gems
• Dame Grand Cross (First Class) of The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao
• Dame Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
• King Rama IV Royal Cypher Medal (Second Class)
• King Rama V Royal Cypher Medal (First Class)
• King Rama VI Royal Cypher Medal (First Class)

Foreign

• Dame of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa (Kingdom of Spain)

See also

• 1924 Palace Law of Succession
• Savang Vadhana
• Chulalongkorn
• Vajiravudh
• Prajadhipok

External links

• The Thai Redcross Society
• The Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute