Thailand’s king has reinstated his royal consort almost a year after she was abruptly stripped of her titles and accused of seeking to undermine the queen.
An announcement published in the Royal Gazette said Sineenatra Wongvajirabhakdi had not committed any wrongdoing. “Henceforth, it will be as if she had never been stripped of her military ranks or royal decorations,” it said.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn bestowed the rank of Chao Khun Phra on Sineenat on his 67th birthday last year, the first time in nearly a century that a Thai monarch had taken a consort.
Months later, in a move that shocked Thai society, she was accused of “disloyalty” and of trying to convince the king to elevate her to the same standing as his fourth wife and current queen, Suthida Tidjai.
Sineenat was subsequently stripped of all titles, images of her disappeared from the palace website, and an unofficial Instagram set up under her name was taken down.
The Thai monarchy is protected by some of the world’s strictest lese-majesty laws, which make it a crime to criticise, defame or insult members of the royal family. In practice this means open discussion or critical reporting about the monarchy is considered illegal. In recent months, however, a burgeoning youth-led democracy movement has defied such laws and called for the king’s powers to be curbed.
The king, who spends most of his time living in Germany, succeeded his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in 2016. Since then he has strengthened his authority, bringing the wealth of the crown and key army units under his direct control.
Sineenatra had not been seen publicly since her dramatic fall from grace, and her whereabouts were never made clear.
The king has seven children by three previous marriages, all of which ended in divorce. In 2014 he stripped his third wife, Srirasmi Akrapongpreecha, of most of her titles and had members of her family arrested. His second wife, Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, fled to the US after he denounced her in 1996 and disowned their four sons.
Both Queen Suthida, 42, and Sineenat, 35, have served as senior officers in palace security units. Suthida was previously a flight attendant with Thai Airways, while Sineenat was an army nurse.
Last year, after Sineenat was made consort, the palace released rare images and a biography of her. The scores of images showed her in camouflage uniform, taking part in military drills, flying a small plane, and laughing at a table with the king.
In one of the photos she was shown in traditional Thai dress standing next to him and holding his hand – an unusually intimate image for members of the royal family.
Student-led pro-democracy protests are held on an almost daily and have spread across the country. At rallies, some have held signs or worn T-shirts that read “How is the weather in Germany?”, “Send love to Germany” and other coded criticisms of the king.
Some have explicitly called for reform. Last month at a rally attended by thousands, a student group shocked many observers by issuing a 10-point list of demands. The protesters said criticism of the monarchy should be allowed, less public money should be allocated to the king’s budget, and the monarchy should not interfere with politics.
No protesters have been charged under lese-majesty, but some have been charged with sedition, which carries a sentence of up to seven years.