Sukumalmarsri

Infobox British Royalty|majesty|consort
name =Sukumalmarsri
title =Queen Aunt; prev. Queen Consort


imgw =150
caption =
reign =
coronation =
spouse =King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)
issue =Sutatipyaratana, Princess of Ratanakosin
Paripatra, Prince of Nakornsawan
full name =
titles ="HM" The Queen Aunt
"HM" The Queen
"HRH" The Princess Consort
"HRH" Princess Sukumalmarsri
royal house =Chakri dynasty
father =King Mongkut (Rama IV)
mother =Samli, the High Consort of King Rama IV
date of birth =birth date|1861|5|10|df=y
place of birth =Grand Palace,Bangkok, Thailand
date of christening =
date of death =death date and age|1927|7|9|1861|5|10|df=y
place of death =Grand Palace,Bangkok, Thailand
date of burial =
place of burial =|

Sukumalmarsri (Thai:สมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสุขุมาลมารศรี พระอัครราชเทวี) (10 May 1861-9 July 1927) was a daughter of King Mongkut (Rama IV) and Chao Chom Manda Samli (เจ้าจอมมารดาสำลี). Her given name is Princess Sukumalmarsri (พระองค์เจ้าสุขุมาลมารศรี). She was the third senior of the four queen consorts of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and was also his half-sister.

Early life

Sukumalmasri was the third child and the second daughter of Samli, the High Consort of King Mongkut, her famous full-younger sister was Princess Napaporn, the first Siam Woman whose serve as Commander.

Sukumalmarsri was the 52 child of her father, King Mongkut, her closet friend was her half-older sister, Princess Sunandha, who was later became Queen of Siam like Sukumal, herself. In addition, through their father Queen Sukumalmarsri was also an half-older sister to Queen Savang Vadhana and Queen Saovabha.

The Princess was born in Grand Palace and was named Sukumalmarsri by her father, with the name, her father also give her the greet-he wish his daughter to be happiness all of her life and get the perfect son, in fact her son, Baribathra, did.

When she was about ten years old her father died, her older half-brother, Chulalongkorn, successed to the throne.

Life as Queen

At the age of 17 Sukumalmarsri was married to Chulalongkorn, her older half-brother. She gave birth to HRH Princess Sutatipyaratana, the Princess of Ratanakosin, who was the second born but first surviving Chao-fah [the children of a monarch whose mother was queen or the Thai royal princess, a higher rank than the children of a monarch whose mother was not royal] . It has been said that if Sutatip had been born male, she would have inherited the title of Crown Prince.However, in the time of her husband's reign she was not styled Queen of Siam, but as the Princess Consort. Some have said that was because her mother, the High Consort Samli, was a member of the Bunnak family. Bunnak was the most powerful family in Siam after the Royal Family, and was referred to as "the King maker" because Rama III, Rama IV and Pinklao all succeeded to the throne because their support. Chulalongkorn was not supported by the family, but his Vice-King, George Ging Yod, was. The title of Vice-King was almost equivalent to the king of Siam [But no one since Pin Kloa had been named the second King] and also the heir apparent to the throne. As the closest male relative of the monarch inherits the title, almost Vice-Kings were their full younger brothers or the eldest sons born to their Queens, however, it was no really rule for this, the King free to created someone his Vice-King. George was a cousin but Chulalongkorn had two full younger brothers and another brother who his mother was an aunt to the king (they were styled Chao-fah) [and have at least 20 younger half brother whose style Phra Ong Chao at that time, but no son recently] The Bunnak supported George to succeed to the title of Vice King against custom. Chulalongkorn was at that time only 16 and powerless to prevent this occurring. This created enmity between Chulalongkorn and the Bunnak. So Sukumalmarsri, even though she was the beloved wife of Chulalongkorn, was not styled Queen, to prevent the Bunnak claim to the power. [Like the Situation of Jane Seymour Queen to Henry VIII after she was crowned Queen her brother claim to the power.] Prince Chula Chakrabongse, Sukumal's grand nephew, noted in his book, Chao-Chee-Wit, how surprised he was that while he knew Sukumal was the great love to his Grand Father, she had no title greater than simply Princess. [As a daughter of Siam monarch, Sukumal was Princess in her own right, she was to receive the title Princess Consort from her husband, not the Queen.]

Because of the Siam law of succession Salic Law, Sutathip, the eldest Chao Fa could not succeed to the throne. However, Chulalongkorn wished to marry his eldest Chao Fa son and heir, Crown Prince Vajirunhis, to Suttathip. [Again, like the situation of King Henry VIII wishes to married his illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset, to his eldest legitimate eldest daughter the later Queen Mary I of England to make their right to succesed the throne.] Had Vajirunhis was not died before the King, Sutathip would have become Queen of Siam and so Sukumal would have been styled as the "Queen Mother".

Sukumalmarsri was to receive the title Queen by her nephew, Rama VI, but her Thai title didn't change until the Reign of Rama VII when she was styled "สมเด็จพระปิตุจฉาเจ้าสุขุมาลมารศรี พระอัครราชเทวี" which means "The Queen who was the King's aunt", unlike her younger half sister, the Queen Grandmother. At that time both Queen's titles were translated as "Queen Aunt", although they differ in Thai and Sukumalmarsri was ranked below Sawangwaddhana. [In the case because she was the sister to his mother, Savang Vadhana, and also be consort to his father, as she was the mother of his Queen, she right to held the title Queen Mother like Chinese tradition see Empress Dowager Cixi.]

Died

She died at the age 66 on 9 July 1927 at the Grand Palace, the place where she was born, her only surviving child and only son, Baribathra, and her full-younger sister, Napaporn, at her bed side.

References

* Paul M. Handley, "The King Never Smiles" Yale University Press: 2006, ISBN 0-300-10682-3

ee also

* 1924 Palace Law of Succession
* Chulalongkorn
* Sukhumbhand Paripatra

Ref