Princess Soamsawali of Thailand, 1st wife of King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand
by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2023 The first of the four wives of King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand, Soamsawali Kitiyakara was born on July 13, 1957, at Guy’s Hospital in London, Unite…
Unofficial Royalty
by Susan Flantzer

© Unofficial Royalty 2023

The first of the four wives of King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand, Soamsawali Kitiyakara was born on July 13, 1957, at Guy’s Hospital in London, United Kingdom. She is the elder of the two children and the elder of the two daughters of Adulakit Kitiyakara (1930 – 2004) and Princess Bandhu Savali Yugala (born 1933). Soamsawali’s father was the elder brother of Queen Sirikit, the wife of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. Their paternal grandfather Prince Kitiyakara Voralaksana was the son of King Chulalongkorn who reigned in Siam, Thailand’s former name, from 1868 – 1910. Adulakit Kitiyakara was a lawyer and served as the Vice President of the Supreme Court of Thailand and a member of the Privy Council of Thailand during the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Soamsawali’s mother Princess Bandhu Savali Yugala was also a descendant of King Chulalongkorn of Siam as her paternal grandfather Prince Yugala Dighambara was also King Chulalongkorn’s son. Soamsawali was born in London while her father was studying law at the Inn of Court’s Middle Temple. Her family returned to Thailand when Soamsawali was two-years-old.

Soamsawali has one sibling, a sister:

Sarali Kitiyakara (born 1966) married Thiradej Chirathiwat, had two sons

Soamsawali started her schooling at Chitralada School which was established by King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the grounds of the Dusit Palace, the residence of the King of Thailand in Bangkok. Members of the Thai royal family attended the Chitralada School. Soamsawali attended the school with her first cousin Princess Chulabhorn Walailak of Thailand, the youngest child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1966, Soamsawli’s family moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand when her father was appointed to be a judge there. Soamsawli attended a girls’ school, Regina Coeli College in Chiang Mai. When the family moved back to Bangkok, Soamsawali attended two secondary schools, Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School and Rajini School (Queen’s School) founded in 1904 by Queen Saovabha Phongsri.

Crown Prince Vajiralongkornon and Soamsawali on their wedding day

On December 17, 1976, a formal engagement ceremony was held for nineteen-year-old Soamsawali and her twenty-four-year-old first cousin Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, the only son and the heir of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and his wife, Queen Sirikit, Soamsawali’s paternal aunt, at the Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. The couple was married on January 3, 1977. After their marriage, Soamsawali’s official title became Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali, Royal Consort of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand.

Soamsawali and Vajiralongkorn’s daughter Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand, November 2020

Soamsawali and Vajiralongkorn had one daughter:

Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand (born 1978)

Shortly after his first marriage, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn began living with Yuvadhida Polpraserth, a Thai actress. They had four sons and one daughter. Princess Soamsawali refused divorce for many years, but in 1993, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn sued for divorce in the family court. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn accused Princess Soamsawali of being completely at fault for the failed marriage. She was not able to refute any of the charges because of lèse-majesté in Thailand. It is illegal to defame, insult, or threaten the king, queen, heir-apparent, heir-presumptive, or regent of Thailand. The penalty for committing lèse-majesté is three to fifteen years in prison for each count. The divorce was finalized in July 1993.

Despite the divorce, Vajiralongkorn and Soamsawali remain on cordial terms. After the divorce Soamsawali was allowed to keep her title of princess and remain a member of the Thai royal family. In 2016, Vajiralongkorn became King of Thailand upon the death of his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Soamsawali and her daughter continue to play a significant role in royal ceremonies and perform many duties on behalf of the Thai royal family.

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