Sujarinee Vivacharawongse


Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, born Yuvadhida Polpraserth, stage-named Yuvadhida Suratsawadee or nicknamed Benz, is a Thai actress who was a consort and then the second wife of Vajiralongkorn, then the Crown Prince of Thailand, from 1994 to 1996. She now lives in the United States.

Early life

Sujarinee was born on 26 May 1962, the daughter of Thanit Polpraserth and Yaovalak Komarakul na Nagara. Her father was a musician and composer in the Sunthraphon band. Her mother is a direct descendant of King Taksin the Great of the Thonburi Kingdom through the Komarakul na Nagara family whose ancestor was Chaophraya Nakhon (Noi), an acknowledged, natural son of the king.

Career

At fifteen, she was introduced to Thai filmography when actress Sarinthip Siriwan helped her to find a job in the drama ' and '. In 1977, she co-starred in the films ' and '. In 1978 and 1979, she was a leading actress in the film ', ' and .
In August 1979, she announced her retirement from the entertainment industry.

Relationship with the crown prince and children

In late-1978, when Yuvadhida Polpraserth was 16 years old, she was introduced to the Thai crown prince Vajiralongkorn, who at the time was married to his first wife, Princess Soamsawali, and about to become a father. While he remained married to his estranged wife until 1993, Yuvadhida became his steady companion and gave birth to four sons and a daughter:
As illegitimate children of a "celestial prince" they received the lowest princely rank of Mom Chao. Without any public explanation of her role, Yuvadhida accompanied Vajiralongkorn on an official visit to China in 1987 and on other royal duties. In the same year, the couple's unofficial relationship caused a diplomatic incident when the Japanese government refused to welcome the crown prince's extramarital partner during a state visit. Reportedly, Yuvadhida accepted Vajiralongkorn's relationships with other women but threatened to leave him when he allowed another consort to move into the palace at the end of 1993.
After the Crown Prince had finally obtained the divorce from his first wife, Yuvadhida and Vajiralongkorn married at a palace ceremony in February 1994, without informing the public. They were blessed by the King and the Princess Mother, but not by the Queen. After the wedding, she was allowed to change her name to Mom Sujarinee Mahidol na Ayudhya, signifying she was a commoner married to a royal. She was also commissioned as a major in the Royal Thai Army. It was not until the Crown Prince's 42nd birthday in July 1994 that Sujarinee and their children were presented as members of the royal family for the first time. In 1995, when King Bhumibol was hospitalised and the Princess Mother died, Sujarinee's appearances alongside the Crown Prince became rare.
Sujarinee, together with her children, fled to England in 1996. Vajiralongkorn had posters placed around his palace accusing her of committing adultery with 60-year-old air marshal Anand Rotsamkhan. She and her sons were banished from Thailand and stripped of their royal names and titles, instead taking the family name Vivacharawongse. On the other hand, Vajiralongkorn had their only daughter, Princess Busyanambejra, brought back from London to Thailand to live with him. Her royal status was elevated in 2005 and again after her father's accession to the throne in 2016. Sujarinee and her sons have since moved to the United States.

Royal decorations