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THE CHAKRI FAMILY
The full
family tree of the Chakri Dynasty is complex and at times perplexing. Each king
and queen is known by several different names and titles, some posthumously
conferred.
Many of the princes and princesses have more than
one title, and alterations can be made, not only to their rank but also to the
terms describing their relationship to the reigning monarch, which change from
reign to reign. These ranks and titles are finely graded; revealing nuances
which explain the exact rank and relationship to the king of the individual
prince or princess.
This hierarchy of rank and title is unique to
Thailand [although a similar, but less complex system exists within the royal
family of Cambodia] and is the most elaborate system of royal rank to be found
in any country in the world. There are three distinct ranks of prince and
princess, but even within each rank there are finer distinctions, which divide
the members into different sub-groups. The three main ranks are as follows: -
The Chao Fa This title is usually restricted to
the children of a king or queen. There are at present only five Chao Fa living,
one prince and four princesses; they include the present Crown Prince, two
daughters of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, his sister, and the daughter
of His late Majesty King Vajiravudh [Rama VI] . Another daughter of His present
Majesty, the former Princess Ubol Ratana Rajakanya, who relinquished her royal
title in 1972, was also of this rank.
The Phra Ong Chao--there are two specific grades
within this rank, those Phra Ong Chao who have the additional word Chao within
the preamble to their title, and those who do not:
[Phra Chao Vorawongse Ther] Phra Ong Chao--Prince
or Princess and Royal Highness.
[Phra Vorawongse Ther] Phra Ong Chao--Prince or
Princess and Highness.
The Phra Ong Chao nowadays are always the
grandchildren of a king--three of the present King's grandchildren are of this
rank, and the other 10 living Phra Ong Chao are all grandchildren of King
Chulalongkorn [Rama V], from senior lines of descent.
The Mom Chao--this is the lowest of the royal
ranks and the usual title of a grandchildren of a king [except where raised to
be a Phra Ong Chao]; in the case of a great-grandchild of a king who is a Mom
Chao then he or she is the child of a Phra Ong Chao prince, who is himself of a
grandchild of a king.
The Mom Chao are known in English as Prince or
Princess and Serene Highness. There are at present some 150 Mom Chao living--53
are grandchildren or great- grandchildren of King Chulalongkorn [Rama V], 82 are
grandchildren or great-grandchildren of King Mongkut [Rama IV], 14 are
grandchildren of the last Maha Uparaja [or Deputy King] and one, the last
surviving grandchild of Second King Pinklao, who died in 1866.
They are for the most part elderly and in the
years to come their number will be much diminished. In the early part of this
century the total of Mom Chao was much higher, numbering several hundred, and
including grandchildren of King Rama III, King Rama II and even King Rama I, as
well as numerous grandchildren of the earlier Maha Uparaja. By the end of the
century it is likely that there will only be several dozen Mom Chao left within
the Royal Family.
The great-grandchildren of a king do not bear
royal rank but are entitled to use the title of Mom Rajawongse, which is not
translated into English. The great- great-grandchildren bear the title of Mom
Luang. Subsequent generations in the male line of decent from a king have no
titles, but may add the dynastic surname of "Na Ayudhya" to the surname of the
branch of the Royal Family from which they descend.
The Royal Family is divided into 131 different
branches. Each son of a king, or Maha Uparaja, who founded a family, was granted
a surname by King Vajiravudh [Rama VI] - several more were granted during the
reign of his successor, King Prajadhipok [Rama VII].
As part of the 60th birthday celebrations of His
Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, representatives of each branch will gather at
the Chitralada Villa of Dusit Palace in a ceremony that has not been performed
for many years. They will be received in audience by the King in the Dusidalai
Hall and will be grouped strictly according to the seniority of their descent
from the previous kings of the Chakri Dynasty.
The task of deciding the order of precedence is
not an easy one and assistance is given by the chairman of the family
association of the Chakri Dynasty, who keeps careful track of the whereabouts of
each branch and its members, ensuring that they are informed of the gathering
and at the same time checking that no imposters lay claim to an unverified
descent.
This is rare, though from time to time "pretenders"
do emerge and assume the name of some remote line of descent of the Royal Family.
The names of the Kings of the Chakri Dynasty are
long and complex and take various forms. It is customary that the sovereign's
name is longer than that of anyone else in the Kingdom and the full royal name
and title, as inscribed on a golden name plate at the time of the coronation, is
impractical for daily use.
Several different systems for naming the kings
have developed over the years. In the reign of King Rama III it was decided that
the first two kings of the Chakri Dynasty should be accorded a personal name.
Hitherto, people had referred to these two kings as "The King of the Foremost
Reign" and "The King of the Middle Reign."
King Rama III had two large golden Buddha images
made and dedicated them to the first two kings and decreed that they be known as
King Buddha Yot Fa and King Buddha Loet La.
He himself became King Nang Klao. His successors
became King Chom Klao [Mongkut], King Chula Chom Klao [Chulalongkorn], King
Mongkut Klao (Vajiravudh) and King Pok Klao [Prajadhipok].
Abroad and to foreigners living within the
country these kings were known by other names - the personal name they had
before their accession - hence King Mongkut, King Chulalongkorn, King Vajiravudh
and King Prajadhipok, and this custom was continued during the two subsequent
reigns with King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
One of the fascinations of the Thai system of
royal rank and title is the subtlety with which the title of a member of the
Royal House reveals an exact degree of rank. Apart from the three distinct
princely ranks mentioned earlier there are other features of royal titles, which
further define the holder's true position in the royal hierarchy. In the titles
of all princes and princesses of Phra Ong Chao and Chao Fa rank are to be found
certain words, which also indicate their relationship to the reigning King.
These form part of the preamble to the title and
in the case of the closest royal relatives indicate the exact relationship. More
distant relatives have a word indicating to which group of princes and
princesses they belong. Thus the son of the reigning king will be Somdetch Phra
Chao Lukya Ther Chao Fa, the daughter Somdetch Phra Chao Luk Ther Chao Fa, the
elder brother Somdetch Phra Chao Piya Ther Chao Fa, the younger brother Somdetch
Phra Chao Nongya Ther Chao Fa, and so on.
These relationship terms change from reign to
reign, with the children of one king becoming, perhaps the elder and younger
brothers and sisters of the next king. The system applies equally to deceased
members of the Royal Family and the late younger brother of a reigning king will
become the late uncle of his successor and his title will be altered accordingly.
There is thus a gradual and evolving pattern of change within the system of
royal titles.
Another feature of the precise definition of rank
can be found among the regalia of the most senior members of the Royal Family.
When they receive their titles they are presented with a set of regalia, which,
should their title be high enough, will include a multi-tiered royal umbrellas,
or parasol. These royal umbrellas are of different levels, usually of five,
seven or nine tiers.
Only a crowned king possesses a nine-tiered
umbrella [prior to his coronation he is entitled to one of seven tiers]. The
holders of seven tier umbrellas form a special group within the Royal Family,
those whose titles contain the words "Somdetch Phra Baromma" and at the present
time these include only four people, Her Majesty the Queen, H.R.H. the Crown
Prince, H.R.H. the Princess Mother and princesses of Cho Fa rank are entitled to
royal umbrellas of five tiers.
These royal umbrellas reveal the rank of the
holder and as such can form part of their insignia or coats-of-arms and at their
cremations are to be found suspended above the crematorium, or above their urns
at their lyings-in-state.
As the Thai system of rank is so very much more
complex than those systems to be found in European countries it is often
difficult to ascribe adequate titles in English and the other European languages.
A system has evolved gradually, beginning as early as the reign of King Mongkut.
He and his successors took particular care in
choosing the correct English words to be used as a translation for various Thai
royal titles, and in the cases of King Chulalongkorn and King Vajiravudh
discussions took place between themselves and members of European royal families
on choosing suitable equivalents.
However, the European languages cannot convey the
degree of subtlety apparent in the Thai system and anomalies occur. Although the
Queen is Her Majesty, the Princess Mother, according to European custom is only
Her Royal Highness, a rank equal to those of certain princes and princesses.
In Europe the mother of a reigning king whose
father has never been king cannot be a queen mother, as she was herself never a
queen consort and is therefore known as the princess mother. That the present
Princess Mother of Thailand was raised to the rank of Somdetch Phra Baromma with
the right to seven levels of royal umbrellas during the reign of her son cannot
be adequately conveyed in the English rendering of her title.
02. December 2004