King Vajiralongkorn dismisses his official mistress
For Thailand’s monarch, with great power comes no responsibility at all
INGRATITUDE, MISBEHAVIOUR and disloyalty. These were among the failings of Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi detailed in a royal statement on October 21st. Apparently the mistress of King Maha Vajiralongkorn wanted to “elevate herself to the same state as the queen”. The former army nurse also dared to issue commands and show disobedience to her superiors. She has been stripped of all titles and honours.
At one level, Ms Sineenat’s sudden fall from grace is stunning. It was only on the king’s birthday in July that he made her Thailand’s first officially designated royal mistress in almost a century. At another level, it is typical: the king has frequent, dramatic romantic bust-ups, with dire consequences for the women concerned.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline "Beauty and the beast"
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