Sukumalmarsri

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Sukumalmarsri
Queen Aunt; prev. Queen Consort (more...)

Consort to	King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)
Issue
Sutatipyaratana, Princess of Ratanakosin Paripatra, Prince of Nakornsawan
Detail 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
Born	10 May 1861 Grand Palace,Bangkok, Thailand
Died	9 July 1927 Grand Palace,Bangkok, Thailand

Queen 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).

1 Early Life
2 Life as Queen
3 Died
4 References
5 See also
6 Ref

[edit] 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 passed away, her older half-brother, Chulalongkorn, successed to the throne.

[edit] Life as Queen

At the age of 17 Sukumalmarsri was married to His Majesty King 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^[1]. It has been said that if Sutatip had been born male, she would have inherited the title of Crown Prince.

The Four Queens Consort of King Chulalongkorn
Sunandha
Sukumalmarsri
Savang Vadhana
Saovabha

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^[2] 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)^[3] 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.^[4] 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.^[5]

Because of the Siam law of succession Salic Law, Sutathip, the eldest Chao Fah could not succeed to the throne. However, Chulalongkorn wished to marry his eldest Chao Fah son and heir, Crown Prince Vajirunhis, to Suttathip.^[6] Had Vajirunhis was not passed away 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.^[7]

[edit] 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.

[edit] References

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

[edit] See also

[edit] Ref

^ 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
^ But no one since Pin Kloa had been named the second King
^ and have at least 20 younger half brother whose style Phra Ong Chao at that time, but no son recently
^ Like the Situation of Jane Seymour Queen to Henry VIII after she was crowned Queen her brother claim to the power.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ 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.