Update | Thai prince divorces wife beset by family scandals amid anxiety over monarchy’s future
Thailand's crown prince has divorced his wife, in a dramatic fall from grace for a senior princess at a time of heightened anxiety over the health of the country's revered but ailing monarch.
Thailand's crown prince has divorced his wife, in a dramatic fall from grace for a senior princess at a time of heightened anxiety over the health of the country's revered but ailing monarch.
A statement published by the palace early yesterday in the said Princess Srirasmi had relinquished her royal status, a move that ends her 13-year marriage to Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Several of the princess' relatives have been arrested recently in a high-profile corruption scandal that has sent shock waves through Thailand's elite.
"The king has granted permission to announce that Princess Srirasmi, the wife of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, has informed in a written document that she has resigned from her royal status," the palace said, signalling an end to the marriage.
Analysts said the 62-year-old crown prince's split from his wife would deepen fears for the monarchy's future as Thailand's 87-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej enters the twilight of his reign.
In May, Thailand's military seized power after months of occasionally violent street protests, saying it needed to protect the monarchy and restore order to the politically divided nation.
