Royal sighting suk soi 11

[sayjann]

a little off topic.

 

my memory is a little dim but i remember a story that my Grandmother told me about the Thai Royal Family.

i think that before/during/after WW2 that the Royal Family was in exile in the UK.

i think it was the Parents of the present King and they lived near my Grandparents in Kent,UK.

they had a house and after the King at the time died his Wife she helped the local community by starting up a local business which helped all.

but my Grandfather used to help in their garden.

 

i just can't remember the details and i apologise if my facts are wrong.

i know that in my Family archives we have a Newspaper article,i will try and find it.

[samak]

HM was born in the USA and spent most of his youth in switzerland, but UK? his father was Prince Mahidol, son of King Rama V, but never himself King.

i am not sure whether you are mixing up something?

[sayjann]

here goes.

finally found the Info i was looking for but not sure of the relationship with the present King.

 

not only is May 5th the anniversary of the present Kings Coronation in 1950,but it is also in May that the 7th King of the Chakri Dynasty and his Queen passed away,on the 30th and 22nd respectively.

having abdicated on March 2nd 1935 to insist that a Democracy must be founded on the principles of freedom and justice and arguably to safeguard the Siamese Monarchy,King Prajadhipok lived in England until he died on May 30th 1941,leaving Queen Rambhai Barni,his only Consort,a widow at the age of 37.

he was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium 4 Days later.

 

the Queen remained in England during WW2 and endured the rationing of food and provisions like other People.

when Male members of her small retinue ask for permission to join the British Army as "Free Thai's" to ensure their Motherland's Country Independence,she told them to go and do their duty and not worry about her.

she herself played her part by braving the bombs by travelling to London to assist the St John's Ambulance Brigade in packing medical supplies for the front line.

"it was quite frightening" she reminisced.

 

the Queen did not return to Thailand immediately after the War as she was willing to endure the expenses and the unhappiness of living in another land unless the Thai Government officially asked her to return together with the late King's remains in the full dignity of a Crowned King.

on May 1st 1949 she boarded a Liner at Southampton with the Royal relics.

arriving at Rajavoradit Landing on May 24th the relics and Queen were met by HRH Princeof Chainat,then the Regent.

the relics were taken to the Grand Palace and installed in it's rightful place alongside those of former Chakri Kings on the top floor.

 

the following Year the Queen rendered her own service to the Monarchy and it's continuity.

unknown to many ,she bought her unique experience to bear on the Coronation. on May 5th 1950.

this was to do with with the past concerning the Investure of MR Sirikit Kitiyakara as Queen.

before Queen Rambhai Barni's time,no Royal Consort had been proclaimed Queen.

 

after the Crowning she bought 687 Rai in Chanthaburi and named it 'Suan Ban Kaew'

her private Garden was similar to her Garden in Biddenden,Kent where she had spent many happy Days with the late King.

(this was the Garden that my Grandfather worked on).

in Biddenden they had been regarded as "the Squire and his Lady".

 

she pioneered agriculture and grew crops of rice,rambutans,mangosteens,lychees,pepper and oranges.

livestock was raised but only kept for farm use,any surplus was given away to the locals.

she also grew watermelons and won many prizes for them and weights of up to 15kg are reported to have been grown.

the Queen partook in many of the Farm activities,such as sowing and cutting the rice,raising the chickens,picking the fruit and driving the tractor.

but her main interest was the local art of mat-making.

with help from a relative she devised a way of dying the mats which made them run proof.

 

her other claim to fame was dealing with the local Hospital.

she had to attend one Day with an injury and noticed that they had none of the basic equipment.

she helped raise funds for the building of a new Surgical building and named it 'Prajadhipok Building'.

later on her suggestion the Government re-named it 'Phra Pok Klao' Hospital after King Prajadhipok's as King in the Thai language.

she was a lover of Golf and held tournaments to raise funds for the Hospital.

she also considered Uni's and Hospitals far more important than statues.

she dedicated everything to her late Husband.

 

aged 64 she returned to BKK and lived at Sukhodaya Palace,where she used to live before her marraige.

from the proceeds from the sale of her Estate she founded a Teaching College to educate the locals.

she died in 1984 and the College was renamed the 'Rambhai Barni Rajabhat University' and a statue of her is displayed in front of her former house on the Campus.

 

she sounds like a remarkable Woman to me.

 

but 2 things spring to mind.

 

Her Husband was cremated at a Jewish Crematorium,nothing Buddist at the time in the UK?.

 

and what a coincidence,Biddenden is famous for one thing.

 

Siamese twins were born here in 1100 and have remained famous ever since. Known as the Biddenden Maids, they founded a charity distributing cakes to the poor of the village which is still commemorated nowadays.

 

what a coincidence that the poor Girls were born in the same Village that a Siamese King lived.

 

my Mum has very vague memories of visiting a big house with her Father and meeting a strange looking Woman........i suppose she means Asian as many would not have been around in those Days in rural Kent.

i do have Photo's which i could send but not being a sponser i don't think they will get through.

 

i'm sure Lusty can remember the story of the Twins.