Saovabha Phongsri
Queen Saovabha Phongsri, Regent of Siam
Queen Mother Sri Bajarindra
Queen consort of Siam
Tenure1878 – 23 October 1910
BornPhra Chao Luk Thoe Phra Ong Chao Saovabha Phongsri
(1861-01-01)1 January 1861
Grand Palace, Bangkok, Siam
Died20 October 1919(1919-10-20) (aged 58)
Grand Palace, Bangkok, Siam
SpouseChulalongkorn
Issue
HouseChakri dynasty
FatherMongkut
MotherConsort Piam Sucharitakul

Saovabha Phongsri (Thai: เสาวภาผ่องศรี; RTGS: Saowapha Phongsi (Pronunciation)) was an agnatic half-sister, royal wives and queen 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" (Thai: ศรีพัชรินทร; RTGS: Si Phatcharin).

Life

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

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

When she died in 1919 at the age of 58, 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 precedent among all others over the line of succession. This guaranteed the accession of her youngest son Prince Prajadhipok to the throne in 1925, despite there being more senior and learned sons of Chulalongkorn. The Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute was named after her.

Children

She had 9 children with King Chulalongkorn:

NameBirthDeathSpouseChildren
Bahurada Manimaya, Princess Debanariratana19 December 187827 August 1887
Vajiravudh1 January 188125 November 1925Prabai SucharitakulNone
Princess Vannabimol VaravanNone
Prueng SucharitakulNone
Krueakaew AbhaiwongsePrincess Bejaratana Rajasuda
Prince Tribejrutama Dhamrong8 February 188222 November 1887
Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, Prince of Bisnulok3 March 188313 June 1920Ekaterina Ivanovna DesnitskayaPrince Chula Chakrabongse
Princess Javalit Obhas RabibadhanaNone
Prince Siriraj Kakudhabhanda27 November 18853 May 1887
Princess (Unnamed)13 December 188713 December 1887
Asdang Dejavudh, Prince of Nakhon Rajasima12 May 18899 February 1924Paew SuddhiburanaNone
Chudadhuj Dharadilok, Prince of Bejraburana5 July 18928 July 1923La-or SirisambandhPrincess Sudasiri Sobha
Ravi KayanandaPrince Varananda Dhavaj
Princess Bunchiradhorn JumbalaNone
Prajadhipok8 November 189330 May 1941Princess Rambai Barni SvastivatanaNone

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

Ancestors

See also

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