Milestones and palace intrigue: Rise and fall of Thai Royal Noble Consort – The Straits Times

In July, Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn named Ms Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi Royal Noble Consort, bestowing on the trained nurse, pilot and bodyguard a title that was last used nearly a century ago.

After the unexpected announcement came the unprecedented release of a series of candid pictures featuring the new consort - from her in a crop top at the controls of a fighter jet, to her and the king dressed in combat fatigues, royal poodle in arms - which drew so many visitors to the palace website that it crashed.

No one could have predicted that Ms Sineenat's fall from grace would follow so swiftly - less than three months after she was made consort.

On Oct 21, the king stripped the 34-year-old of all her titles for "misbehaviour and disloyalty against the monarch". She was also accused of seeking to sabotage his official wife Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya's appointment as queen in a bid to take the position herself.

"(She) was acting out against the royal marriage and the appointment of the queen," said the Royal Gazette in a detailed condemnation of the disgraced consort.

It said the king had tried to take pressure off the monarchy by appointing Ms Sineenat as his official royal consort, but "she wasn't satisfied with the royally bestowed position and still did everything to be equal to the queen".

Her actions, it said, "are considered dishonourable, lacking gratitude, unappreciative of royal kindness, and driving a rift among the royal servants, making misunderstanding among the people, and undermining the nation and the monarchy".

Soon after, the king fired nearly a dozen palace officials - for reasons such as "extremely evil misconduct" - all of whom received harsh rebuke in the Royal Gazette.

Ms Sineenat's public rise to noble consort broke with nearly a century of tradition: The title had not been used since Thailand abolished absolute monarchy and polygamy more than eight decades ago.

Her fall, however, was not unprecedented. In 1996, then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn denounced his second wife. In 2014, he stripped his third wife of all her titles and banished her from court.

Analysts see Ms Sineenat's removal as yet another show of power by a new king - making clear that his reign will be an assertive one.

"The abrupt move by the king tells us that he wishes to be seen as a very in-charge monarch who will not put up with possible divisions in the royal institution," analyst Paul Chambers from Naresuan University told British newspaper The Guardian.

The king came to power in 2016 after the death of his father, the widely-revered Bhumibol Adulyadej. Since then, he has made various moves to consolidate his power, including taking direct control of some key army units, and dismissing and appointing several palace officials.

Rumours over Ms Sineenat's downfall are still brewing, but a clear answer is unlikely and public discussion sparse because of Thailand's strict lese majeste law. This prohibits criticism against senior members of the royal family, and those found guilty can be jailed for up to 15 years.

Ms Sineenat's whereabouts are unknown.

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Milestones and palace intrigue: Rise and fall of Thai Royal Noble Consort - The Straits Times