King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 66, was crowned Saturday in a sumptuous ceremony rich in symbolism and ritual. His coronation, the first in 69 years and given blanket coverage on Thai TV, has stirred curiosity over the goings-on inside the royal court. True to form, Ubolratana -- seen as one of the more approachable royals -- posted beaming selfies with her younger sister Princess Sirindhorn. "The images of King Vajiralongkorn wearing a sacred crown and then socialising with family members serve the dual purpose of rendering him both divine and relatively approachable," said anthropologist Edoardo Siani of Kyoto University. Aunyaporn Wisanurak, 62, who had volunteered to hand out food during the coronation, echoed the sentiment, insisting nightly royal news bulletins provided ample insight.

Source: The Nation Bangkok May 06, 2019 07:18 UTC