BANGKOK — The king of Thailand liked her. Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi rose to the position of royal consort to King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, only to be stripped of her official title last year, amid accusations from the palace that she was trying to upstage the queen. The position of royal consort, referring to a female companion who is not a wife, had not existed in Thailand since absolute monarchy was abolished in 1932 until the current king revived it for Ms. Sineenat. King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been married multiple times. His first wife was his cousin; his third was purged and members of her family were jailed for disrespecting the monarchy.

Source: New York Times September 02, 2020 16:22 UTC