Srinagarindra


Srinagarindra born Sangwan Talapat was a member of the Royal Thai Family. She was part of the House of Mahidol, which is descended from the Chakri dynasty and was founded by Prince Mahidol Adulyadej. She was the mother of Princess Galyani Vadhana, King Ananda Mahidol, and King Bhumibol Adulyadej and was the paternal grandmother of King Vajiralongkorn.
Her formal name and title was Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani. In Thailand, she was affectionately called Somdet Ya, "the Royal Grandmother". The various hill tribe people, to whom she was a special patron, called her Mae Fah Luang, "Royal Mother from the Sky" or "The Heavenly Royal Mother".

Early life

Sangwan Chukramol was born on 21 October 1900, in Nonthaburi Province. Her family was of Laotian descent from Vientiane. By nine years old, Sangwan's parents and her older brother and sister had all died, leaving her and her younger brother, Thomya, to the care of their aunt. Her aunt and guardian, Suay, earned a living by making sweets and rolling cigarettes.
Sangwan's mother had taught her to read before passing. With this skill, Sangwan enrolled at an all-girls school of Wat Anongkharam, a nearby temple whose abbot recognized the needs for the girls to have a proper education. She then studied at Suksanari, leaving the school after only a month due to the lack of funds. Nonetheless, she maintained her reading habits by regularly visiting her aunt’s friend who ran a library of books for rent. She had read a number of Thai classics, such as Inao, Phra Aphai Mani, and Sangsilchai.
At the suggestion of a relative, Sangwan was sent to live with Chan Saeng-xuto, another relative and a nanny to Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the Princess of Petchaburi, daughter of King Chulalongkorn and Queen Savang Vadhana. At the age of seven, Sangwan found herself at the royal court. Her only duty at that time was to present herself at a twice-daily audience with the princess—when she woke up, and again in the evening. Every now and then, she would join the princess's entourage when she went for an audience with her mother, Queen Savang Vadhana, at Suan Hongsa Royal Villa on the grounds of Dusit Palace.
Shortly afterwards, she was sent to Satri Wittaya School, while she lived with Huan Hongsakul, the nanny of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Prince of Songkla, the younger brother of Princess Valaya Alongkorn. After an accident with a sewing needle, Sangwan was sent to Lord Damrong Baedyakhun, the court physician for surgery. She stayed at his house while continuing her schooling at Satri Wittaya School. Sensing that she was feeling listless and unhappy, he asked her if she would be interested in studying nursing. Sangwan answered at once that she would be. Siriraj Hospital had opened a school of midwifery and nursing, but despite the minimum requirement of being able to read and write, had not been able to attract many students. As a further incentive, each student was paid 15 baht per month, sufficient to live on for the entire month.

Nursing student

Sangwan enrolled as a student of Siriraj School for Midwifery and Nursing in 1913, when she was thirteen. She was two years younger than the minimum age limit, but the school still accepted her based on her credentials. She was a scholarship recipient who agreed to work for the hospital for three years in exchange for the 15 baht per month that would cover her living costs.Upon graduation in 1916, she joined the nursing team at the hospital.
The following year, Prince Rangsit Prayursakdi, the Prince of Chainat, director of the Royal Medical College of Siriraj Hospital, selected two doctors and two nurses to further their studies in the United States. These scholarship students were expected to return to teach future generations of medical students and advance the medical profession in Thailand. The medical scholarships were provided by Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, then a first-year student at Harvard Medical School, while the nursing scholarships were provided by his mother, Queen Savang Vadhana. One of the two nurses selected was Sangwan. Her preparations for this trip included a six-month intensive English course with Miss Edna Sarah Cole, headmistress of Kullasatri Wang Lang School for girls.
For her passport, Sangwan needed a surname, the use of which was not a regular practice in Thailand until 1913 during the reign of King Vajiravudh. As her father was dead, she took the surname of Lee Talaphat, who was in the service of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej. Her surviving younger brother registered himself as Thomya Chukramol.
Sangwan Talaphat left Bangkok on 13 August 1917 on the ship Kuala with almost 20 other Thai students. The trip took them to Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Hawaii, and after six weeks, the group reached San Francisco. From there, she went to live with an American family, the Adamsens of Berkeley, California, for a year, attending Emerson School with her friend Ubol Palakawongse na Ayudhya, a member of the nobility. She also attended Sunday school to learn the ways of the Christian faith.
In 1918, they joined eight other Thai students travelling to Boston, Massachusetts. On 21 September 1918, Prince Mahidol was waiting to welcome them, though Sangwan was unaware of his rank. Furthermore, she had no idea that her presence had already made an impact on the young prince, who, according to his roommate, Pradit Sukhum, arrived home after two in the morning, shook him awake saying, "The two girls have arrived. Sangwan is really very pretty, you know."
Prince Mahidol Adulyadej had arranged for the girls to stay with the Armstrong family in Hartford, Connecticut, and to attend North Western Grammar School to perfect their English reading, writing, and speaking skills. During this time, Prince Mahidol maintained close interest in Sangwan's development, making frequent visits to Hartford. Their strolls in the park to observe the flowers reflected Sangwan's lifelong love of plants and concern for the natural environment.

Marriage

Approval was granted to the union between Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Prince of Songkla Nagarindra and son of King Chulalongkorn, and Sangwan Talabhat, and in 1919, he presented her with a diamond ring on a heart-shaped setting in a private ceremony. Thirty years later, this same ring would be presented by his son, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, to his bride-to-be, Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara. After their engagement, Prince Mahidol bade his fiancée move to Cambridge where she lived with the Williston sisters, Emily and Constance, who tutored her in algebra, Latin, French, and English. The prince also assigned an American woman to take Sangwan on guided tours of museums and art galleries, and explain to her the significance of the various exhibits. The royal wedding of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej and Sangwan Talapat was held at Sa Pathum Palace on 10 September 1920. The ceremony was presided over by Prince Mahidol Adulyadej's half-brother, King Vajiravudh.
Prince Mahidol Adulyadej and Mom Sangwan Mahidol na Ayudhya had three children, a daughter and two sons:
The marriage was followed by a visit to various European countries before the couple eventually returned to the United States. Prince Mahidol resumed his studies in public health at Harvard and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston and arranged for his wife to take a preparatory course for nursing at Simmons College, where she studied chemistry and nutrition. Upon passing the test at the end of the semester, she went on to study school health at MIT, entering in the summer semester.
In Boston, they were simply known as "Mr and Mrs Mahidol Songkla", living in a two-bedroom flat at 63 Longwood Avenue. Apart from their studies, they were both closely involved in the activities of the Siam Association of USA under Royal Patronage, which had been established by the prince. They would often host meals for other Thai students; she did the cooking, while he washed the dishes.

Death of Prince Mahidol

was beset with kidney problems during his last year at medical school. Despite chronic health problems, he managed to graduate with honors. Immediately after his finals, he suffered from acute appendicitis requiring immediate surgery. As soon as he was well enough to travel, he and his family went to Europe again for an extended stopover, returning eventually to Siam in 1928 and taking up residency at Sra Pathum Palace. Prince Mahidol died on 24 September 1929 at Sapathum Palace.
At her husband's death, Mom Sangwan was just 29 years old, occupied with raising her three young children ranging in age from six and four to one year, nine months. At that time, her daughter, Princess Galyani Vadhana was studying at Rajini School. As soon as they were old enough, her sons were also sent to school, Prince Ananda Mahidol attended kindergarten at Mater Dei School and transferred to Debsirin School, while Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej remained in kindergarten at Mater Dei School.
On 24 June 1932, the 1932 Siamese Revolution brought about the end of Thailand's absolute monarchy, and the start of a constitutional monarchy. Some members of the royal family resigned their government posts, and others left the country to live overseas until the political scene had calmed.
Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Aunt, later titled the "Queen Grandmother", consulted with her daughter, Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the Princess of Petchaburi and her adopted son, Prince Rangsit Prayursakdi, the Prince of Chainat, about the suitable course of action for her grandchildren, especially Prince Ananda Mahidol. Prince Rangsit recommended Lausanne, Switzerland, a decision that Mom Sangwan approved due to its mild climate, scenery, and hospitable people. It was also said to be one of the most favoured places of her much-travelled husband Prince Mahidol. In April 1933, Mom Sangwan and her children left for Switzerland, together with a small entourage among whom was a young relative named Boonruen Sopoj, who later became Dame Boonruen Choonhavan, the widow of Prime Minister General Chatichai Choonhavan.