Saovabha Phongsri

Royal wives of
Chulalongkorn

Sri Bajarindra (Thai: ศรีพัชรินทรา; Si Phatcharinthra; 1 January 1864 – 20 October 1919), also known as Saovabha Phongsri (Thai: เสาวภาผ่องศรี; 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".

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) (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 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.

She had 9 children with King Chulalongkorn:

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

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