Thai king strips consort of royal titles, citing her "misbehavior and disloyalty"
Thailand's king has stripped his royal noble consort of her titles and military ranks for disloyalty, accusing her of seeking to undermine the position of his official wife for her own benefit. Sixty-seven-year-old King Maha Vajiralongkorn's royal command issued Monday came just three months after he granted 34-year-old Sineenatra Wongvajirabhakdi the consort title, reviving an old palace tradition of taking a junior wife.
BBC News reports an official announcement said Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi was "ambitious" and had tried to "elevate herself to the same state as the queen." The statement cited her alleged "misbehavior and disloyalty against the monarch."
"The royal consort's behaviors were considered disrespectful," the announcement said.
Sineenat, who is a trained pilot, nurse and bodyguard, was the first person to be awarded the title of Royal Noble Consort in nearly a century, BBC News reports.
Sineenatra had her title of Chao Khun Phra Sineenatra Bilasakalayani withdrawn, along with other royal and military titles and decorations.
In May, the king named longtime companion Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya his queen when they were married a few days before his formal coronation. Both the 41-year-old Suthida and Sineenatra have served as senior officers in palace security units.
Vajiralongkorn had three previous marriages.