Galyani Vadhana, Princess of Naradhiwas (6 May 1923 – 2 January 2008) was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX). She was also a direct granddaughter of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and Queen Sri Savarindira and the aunt of King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X).
Biography Early life Galyani Vadhana was born on 6 May 1923 in London, England, the only daughter of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej of Songkla, the 69th son of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and seventh son by Queen Savang Vadhana, and Sangwan Talapat (later known as Srinagarindra, Princess Mother). She was initially named May Songkla and later named Her Serene Highness Galyani Vadhana Mahidol by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI). The word "Vadhana" in her name came from her paternal grandmother, Savang Vadhana. In 1927, King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) promoted her to the royal rank of Princess of Thailand (Her Highness).
Education In 1935, Galyani Vadhana attended a secondary school for girls named École supérieure de jeunes filles de la ville de Lausanne.ปริศนาโบราณคดี : โลซานน์ : สถานศึกษาขององค์ยุวกษัตริย์ (2), Matichon, 4 November 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2025. In 1938, she joined the International School of Geneva, the world's oldest international school (founded in 1924), where she lived as a boarder. She was an excellent student, and eventually came first of her school at the final exam and third in all Switzerland.
In 1942, Galyani Vadhana continued her studies in chemistry at the University of Lausanne. She graduated with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry in 1948. While pursuing her degree, she also studied social science and education for a Diplôme de Sciences Sociales Pédagogiques, involving teacher education, literature, philosophy, and psychology.
Marriage
In 1944, Galyani Vadhana renounced her royal status in order to marry Colonel Aram Rattanakul Serireongrit (24 August 1920 – 3 February 1982), the son of General Luang Serireongrit (Charun Rattanakun Seriroengrit), a former Army commander-in-chief who led the invasion of the Shan States during World War II. They had a daughter, Than Phu Ying Dhasanawalaya Ratanakul Serireongrit (later Sornsongkram) (born in 1945 in Switzerland). This marriage ended in divorce. In 1950, when her youngest brother ascended to the throne, he reinstated Vadhana's royal status.
In 1969, Galyani Vadhana married Prince Varananda Dhavaj (19 August 1922 – 15 September 1990), son of Prince Chudadhuj Dharadilok, Prince of Bejraburna and Mom Ravi Kayananda. They had no children.
Royal title
On 6 May 1995, Galyani Vadhana's 72nd birthday, her brother King Bhumibol gave her the noble title "Kromma Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra" (loosely translated, Princess of Naradhiwas), making her the only female member of the Chakri royal family to have been bestowed this title during Bhumibol's reign. In announcing the honour, Bhumibol said, "the Princess, who was his only sister, had shared the joys and sorrows of life since their early years and was the most highly respected in that she had always given him support. Furthermore, it is a well-known fact that she has been steadfast in her devotion to the King in order that He would enjoy grace and glory." She had represented Bhumibol in carrying out various royal duties and taken good care of their mother, which was a great relief to him.
Royal projects
Galyani Vadhana's royal patronage projects included traditional Thai arts, education, sports, and social welfare. She was president or honorary president of various organisations and foundations, including the Cardiac Children's Foundation, the Princess Mother's Charity Fund, and the Autistic Foundation of Thailand. She created her own foundation for funding the studies of young, gifted musicians.
She was a patron of various classical music foundations. On her trips, she always gathered important and useful information shown in the royal news, giving knowledge to people. She also wrote books, poetry, and spoke French. She traveled widely within Thailand and abroad to represent the royal family and her country on missions.
Health issues Galyani Vadhana was admitted to Siriraj Hospital in June 2007, suffering from abdominal pains. The doctors found she had cancer, and she remained in the hospital for treatment. In October 2007, doctors reported that Galyani Vadhana had suffered an infarction on the left side of her brain as a result of occlusion of a cerebral artery.
At the same time in October, King Bhumibol was treated at Siriraj after experiencing weakness on his right side; doctors later found that he had a blood shortage to his brain. He was admitted on 13 October and discharged on 7 November. After leaving Siriraj, he visited Galyani Vadhana at the hospital almost daily.
On 14 December, the Royal Household Bureau released its 25th statement about Galyani Vadhana's health, saying she was feeling increasingly tired and was becoming less responsive.
Death On 2 January 2008, the Royal Household Bureau announced that Galyani Vadhana's condition had worsened during the night of 1 January and she had died at 02:54 on 2 January, at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, aged 84. There was to be a mourning period of 100 days starting from the day of her death. The prime minister announced that all government officials and agencies would wear black for 15 days while the cabinet would wear black for 100 days.
Funeral
The 300 million-baht ($10 million, £7.1 million) funeral was the first full royal funeral since 1995, when the king's mother Srinagarindra was cremated. The six-day ceremony and ritual started on 14 November 2008 at the Grand Palace and ended on 19 November when Galyani Vadhana's ashes were transferred to the Rangsi Vadhana Memorial, Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram.The Enshrinement of the Royal Ashes Retrieved 15 November 2008.
On 15 November, there were three processions from the royal throne hall, where she had lain in state for ten months, comprising 3,294 soldiers, flanked by conch shell-blowers, drummers, and musicians. Two of the processions involved the Phra Yannamat Sam Lam Khan (golden palanquin with three poles), an 18th-century seven-tonne palanquin carried by 60 men. The two-century-old sandalwood golden teak urn held Galyani Vadhana's body seated upright atop an elaborately decorated 14-tonne golden carriage.Royal Carriages and Palanquins in the Royal Cremation Ceremony. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
Both dressed in white ceremonial dress, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat took part in the procession on Sanam Luang parade ground. In Uttaradit, black-dressed Thais flocked to the royally sponsored Wat Klong Poh in the provincial seat to place 400,000 sandalwood flowers at the crematorium.Thais upcountry to lay sandalwood flowers for late princess , MCOT.net
At 22:00 on 15 November, the king and Queen Sirikit, with the help of a hydraulic tappet, set alight a funeral pyre. The $5.7 m (£3.8 m) temporary royal crematorium, a complex of pavilions constructed on the Sanam Luang parade ground over seven months, had been decorated with flowers, garlands, and carved banana stalks.Thais pay respects to princess, BBC.co.uk After the cremation, the funeral buildings were torn down. According to Hindu belief, Galyani Vadhana's spirit then returned home to Mount Meru, where all deities eternally live.Thailand's King to Preside Over Sister's Cremation, Bloomberg.comThais bid farewell to revered king's sister , ChannelNewsAsia.comKing, Queen conduct ceremonial royal fire placement, Bangkokpost.com,, Reuters.com
Interests
Books and writing Galyani Vadhana liked reading and writing from an early age. While studying Prathom 1 to Prathom 3, she read as many Thai language books as she could find, but children's books in Thai were then rare she often read the newspaper. She remembered reading a book in French—the 1878 novel Sans Famille—while studying in Switzerland, which she later found again.
During Galyani Vadhana's secondary studies, especially in Geneva, she read a lot of literature. She found that reading developed her French language skills. Later, while a French teacher at Thammasat University, she read many books on linguistics. She also studied art, culture, archaeology, and history for many years. When she planned to visit a foreign country, she would first read many books and documents about it.
When Galyani Vadhana was nine, she published a journal, Ruaen Rom, containing articles she had written with her friends at Srapathum Palace. Her mother supported her in reading and writing English. On 10 September 1932, she published a story she had written. In addition, she wrote 11 poems about the royal family, translated three books, and wrote ten tourist guidebooks and an academic article.
Photography Galyani Vadhana was interested in photography. She had learned to take photographs not only as souvenirs but also for art and academic purposes. When she visited important places at home or abroad, she always took photographs of those she found interesting, which were useful in her travel writings.
Music Galyani Vadhana studied Western art. She was interested in all types of music and drama, especially classical music by master composers. She began listening to classical music while studying in Switzerland. She had studied piano at home with her younger brothers, but only intermittently as she had very little time to practice. While doing her homework, she liked to listen to classical music on a radio.
In 2004, concerned about both the government's and the private sector's lack of interest in promoting classical music, Galyani Vadhana established a Fund for Classical Music Promotion, of which she became president. The fund supported classical music and related activities, provided assistance to Thai musicians to study, and promoted competitions and concerts in Thailand and internationally. She also supported the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and the Chulalongkorn University Symphony Orchestra and was the patron of the Bangkok Opera.
Education Galyani Vadhana was interested in all education, not only at universities. She believed that primary education is very important for developing the general population.
From her long experience in teaching French language, she realized the problem of interrupted French language study at mattayom (high school) and university level. In 1977 she formed L'Association Thailandaise des Professeurs de Français (The Association of Thai Professors Teaching French Language) to act as the center for meeting and exchanging experiences of – and improving – the teaching of French language in mattayom and university classes. She was president of the association between 1977 and 1981, when she became its honorary president for the rest of her life. Her assistance to the association took many forms, including in publishing journals to distribute the latest knowledge, writing her own articles in journals, and supporting teachers' seminars, research abroad and study in higher education.
As a result of her continuous work in the teaching and research of the French language in Thailand, she was conferred many honorary doctorates and also honors from many foreign governments and international organizations, including UNESCO.
Culture, archaeology, and history Galyani Vadhana was interested in history and archaeology for many years. She thought these fields to be the foundations of other subjects and believed in applying reasoning to support historical ideas. She always said that her thoughts were not always correct and she would accept new data if supported by reason and evidences.
In performing her duties, she became interested in many important places, which she later visited by herself. She also led groups and associations on educational tours to many historic sites, and she advised fellow guides to emphasize education about the sites.