Thailand's King Bhumibol and the beautiful
Sirikit loved each other dearly, ascended the throne together, and successfully ruled the
country. But many years later, one of the most infamous scandals in this royal family took place.
The Thai emperor's wife began openly cheating on her husband with the royal bodyguard.
But do you know what the king did when he learned of his wife's betrayal? You'd
be surprised. And why did this story have such an unexpected ending?
Watch the video for all the details of this high-profile scandal and
its finale. Let's get started!
Thailand's King Bhumibol, also known as Rama
IX, is a record-breaker among monarchs. He reigned for 70 years. The king spent his
entire life serving the people, earning the extraordinary love of his subjects.
Initially, Bhumibol had no intention of becoming king. After his father's death, the
country was ruled by the prince's older brother, Ananda. But in June 1946, he died of a gunshot
wound to the head in his bedroom. Apparently, the young monarch was shot in a conspiracy,
and the burden of power fell on young Bhumibol, who was only 18 years old.
Although Bhumibol ascended to the throne, he was not officially crowned. His uncle was
appointed regent, and the young man returned to Switzerland, where he continued his studies.
In his spare time, Bhumibol liked to drive his miniature Fiat 500 on the
serpentine roads of the Alps.
This hobby almost robbed Thailand of another
king and at the same time led to the birth of a bright and touching love. One day, Bhumibol
was involved in a serious car accident and miraculously survived. He fractured his spine
and was paralyzed for many months, and his right eye was blind. The king was fitted with an
artificial eye and has worn glasses ever since.
The daughter of the Thai ambassador to
Switzerland, Sirikit, had been taking care of him all this time. The young people had met
before the accident, but it was the accident that brought them together. Sirikit was a hereditary
noblewoman, but she did not shy away from the work of caring for a sick young man. Bhumibol looked
at her with admiration and truly loved her.
Sirikit was 17 at the time. The girl was very
fond of music, which eventually won over the heir to the Thai throne. Bhumibol adored
jazz and played the saxophone and clarinet masterfully. The passion for music
not only united the young people, but later became the reason for their tragedy.
A whirlwind romance soon ensued between the two. Because of their common interests and the young
girl's charm, Bhumibol was sure he had found the one person he was ready to spend the rest of his
life with. He even vowed to love her alone for the rest of his life and never take a concubine.
Did he keep his vow? You will find out later.
The lovers were married in April 1950. Exactly
one week later, Bhumibol was officially crowned. The newlyweds ascended the throne together, and
Bhumibol was given the royal name of Rama IX.
In the middle of the twentieth century, Thailand
was a very poor and backward country. Along with the throne, the young monarch found
the meaning of life - to change the situation for the better. To do this, he had to
fundamentally change the mentality of his people. Instead of opium poppies, millions of farmers
began growing grain, vegetables and fruit.
The king's fight against the drug business
caused great discontent among Thailand's elite, including the nobility. Many of them lost their
super-income and many plots were hatched against Rama IX. During his reign, he survived 18
coup attempts and 40 prime ministers.
Sirikit became not only a wife but also the king's
right hand. With a good education from childhood, her command of English and other foreign
languages, she quickly showed a talent for diplomacy. This fragile girl helped the king gain
full power over the Thai army and government.
They had four children, including Crown
Prince Maha, who now rules Thailand.
It was a difficult and yet the happiest time in
the couple's lives. The subjects adored their monarch. The king was honored with the people's
title of "father and provider," and the queen was seriously considered an ideal by Thais.
The idyll lasted for 30 years. Then the royal couple's relationship began to cool. The young and
passionate Bhumibol finally transformed into the stern Rama IX. He dealt exclusively with matters
of state. But the queen still wanted a radiant love. And she found it, but outside the family.
In the mid-1980s, she was assigned another bodyguard named Nalund. He was half Sirikit's age,
handsome, and most importantly, he composed the wonderful music the queen loved so much. A secret
romance began between the man and the woman.
Soon Sirikit felt she was doing nothing
wrong and she and her bodyguard stopped hiding their relationship. They openly held hands
in public, oblivious to the people around them.
This went on for a long time because
the public did not dare to make casual speculations about the relationship between
the queen and her bodyguard. But at some point, the rumors began to spread rapidly.
After some time, the king learned of his wife's infidelity. When asked directly, he
heard an honest answer that she was sleeping with another man and that she didn't see
a problem with it. The queen explained that she had the right to do so because her
husband no longer paid attention to her.
So what did King Bhumibol do when
he learned of his wife's betrayal?
The bodyguard rushed to the monarch
with remorse. He got down on his knees and begged for forgiveness. But soon
after, he was found dead. The official cause of death was a sudden heart attack.
However, everyone understood the true reasons for the passing of a young and healthy officer.
When she saw her lover's body, Sirikit fainted, then came to her senses and began to sob. She
stormed into her husband's office and accused him of murder. She screamed in anger that she
hated him and would never forgive him. Bhumibol watched his wife's hysterics with indifference,
then said he had a lot of work to do and that Sirikit's words did not move him at all.
After the death of the bodyguard, Queen Sirikit began to live an even more debauched life,
bringing many different men to her palace.
To put an end to the queen's shameful behavior,
Rama IX ordered her committed to a hospital for compulsory treatment. Naturally, rumors
of all this became public. The queen, who once had respect and prestige, had lost
all love and reputation in Thailand.
After a few months in the
hospital, an exhausted Sirikit, who had gained a lot of extra weight, returned to
the palace and knelt before Bhumibol with flowers in her hands. She asked for his forgiveness.
This was enough for the king. He accepted his wife's apology and allowed her to participate
in various activities. Bhumibol didn't want a divorce and tried to preserve the dignity
of the royal family. In doing so, the king publicly demonstrated his authority by stopping
his wife's reckless and shameful behavior.
On the surface, things were
back to the way they had been, but the former love was hopelessly lost.
This smooth but insensitive relationship continued until Bhumibol's death. He died in
October 2016 at the age of 88. Prince Maha inherited the monarch title, and Sirikit
was given the title of Queen Mother.
She is now 91 and has long retired from public
life. Sirikit is surrounded by her grandchildren, and her subjects have long since
forgiven her for a weakness many years ago. Sometimes she gives interviews to
journalists, reminiscing about the old days. And to the standard question of why King Rama IX
never smiled, she always gives the same answer.
- He used to say, I smile for the two of us.
What do you think about this dramatic love story? Write in the comments!
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