1924 Palace Law of Succession - Historical Practice

Historical Practice

King Chulalongkorn fathered totally 77 children, including 32 sons (however of lesser number survived into adulthood) but most of them were born of non-royal wives or Chao Chom Manda. There were only seven sons born of three principal queens with princely rank of Chao Fa (Thai: เจ้าฟ้า; "sky lord" or "celestial prince"): five by Queen Saovabha Bongsri (1864-1919), including Crown Prince Vajiravudh (later King Rama VI); one by Queen Savang Vadhana (1862-1955), and one by Queen Sukhumala Marasri (1861-1927).

Two of King Vajiravudh's five full brothers did not produce a royal-blooded male heir: Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath (1883-1920) had a son, Prince Chula Chakrabongse (1908-1963), with his Russian wife, Mom Catherine "Katya" Na Phitsanulok (née Catherine Ivanovna Desnitsky). Any children born of foreign consort were barred from the line of succession under Section 11 (4) of the 1924 Palace Law. Prince Chudadhuj Dharadilok (1892-1923) had one son, Prince Varananda Dhavaj (1922-1990), with a commoner maid.

Three of five younger brothers - Prince Tribejrudhamrong (1881–1887), Prince Siriraj Kakudhabhanda (1885–1887) and Prince Asdang Dejavudh (1889–1924) - predeceased him without issue, leaving only his youngest brother Prince Prajadhipok who, when becoming the last absolute monarch, was childless. Furthermore, King Vajiravudh had only one daughter, Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda (1925-2011).

Queen Savang Vadhana had only one surviving son, Prince Mahidol Adulyadej (1892-1929), who by his commoner wife, Mom Sangwalya (later the Princess Mother, 1900-1995), had two sons - Prince Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII, reigned 1935-1946) and Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej who is the current King of Thailand (Rama IX, reigning from 1946).

Queen Sukhumala Malasri produced only one son, Prince Paribatra Sukhumbhand (1881-1944) who had one son, Prince Chumbhotbongs Paribatra (1904-1959), by a royal wife and another son, Prince Sukhumbhinanda (1923-2003), by a commoner wife.

The law based on the principle of male primogeniture, with first in line being the eldest son of the previous monarch and second in line being the next-oldest son, and so on. The law expressly ruled against women ascending the throne (this clause was abrogated in the 1997 Constitution).

According to the Palace Law, Prince Prajadhipok (second eldest surviving son of the previous monarch, King Chulalongkorn, via the bloodline of Queen Saovabha, the most senior queen) became first in line to the succession. Prince Mahidol became second in line (although older than Prajadhipok, he was son of Queen Savang Vadhana, a more junior queen). Third and fourth in line would be Prince Mahidol's sons: first Prince Ananda Mahidol, then Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej. Last in line would have been Prince Paripatra, although this is unlikely given he has been in exile since 1932.

This line of succession was followed, with Prince Prajadhipok succeeding King Vajiravudh after he died on 26 November 1925 as King Rama VII. The absolute monarchy was overthrown on 24 June 1932, but the new constitution continued to rely on the Palace Law regarding matters of succession. Thus, Prince Ananda Mahidol, the eldest heir of Prince Mahidol succeeded the sonless King Prajadhipok after he abdicated on 2 March 1935. Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej succeeded the unmarried young brother and King Ananda Mahidol after he was assassinated on 9 June 1946.