Sri Suriyendra


Sri Suriyendra was the royal consort and later became queen consort of King Phutthaloetla Naphalai, who was her cousin, and mother of Mongkut and Pinklao. She was later named, upon the coronation of her son Mongkut, as Krom Somdet Phra Sri Suriyendramat.
Princess Bunrot was a daughter of Princess Sri Sudarak and her Chinese husband Ngoen Saetan. Princess Bunrot lived with her mother in the Grand Palace and grew up with her maternal female cousins, the daughters of Phutthayotfa Chulalok.
Princess Bunrot had an affair with her cousin, Prince Itsarasunthon, son and heir apparent to King Phutthayotfa Chulalok. In 1801, the King discovered the princess' four-month pregnancy and banished her from the Grand Palace to live with her brother Prince Thepharirak. Prince Itsarasunthon begged his father to no avail to return the princess to the palace. The couple eventually settled at the Old Palace and Princess Bunrot became the prince's consort. The baby died however, shortly after birth. With Prince Itsarasunthon, she bore three sons:
Following Prince Itsarasunthon's coronation as Phutthaloetla Naphalai, Princess Bunrot was raised to the rank of queen. She was not the only wife since the Siamese monarchs were allowed have many consorts in accordance with tradition. Sri Suriyendra shared her husband with Princess Consort Kunthon and Princess Riam and a number of the king's concubines.
Her son, Prince Mongkut became a monk in 1824, the same year that Phutthaloetla Naphalai died. It was her son Mongkut who was to be crowned according to tradition. However, the nobility decided to offer the crown to Prince Tub, who became King Nangklao . Mongkut then remained a monk to avoid court intrigues.
Sri Suriyendra then left the Grand Palace for the Old Palace to live with her son Prince Isaret. She stayed there until her death on 18 October 1836, and she did not live to see her son Mongkut crowned.

Ancestry