Chakri dynasty

The Chakri dynasty is the current reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand. The head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Rattanakosin era and the city of Bangkok in 1782; following the end of Taksin's reign, when the capital of Siam shifted to Bangkok. The royal house was founded by Rama I, an Ayutthaya military leader.

Prior to his accession to the throne, Rama I held for years the title Chakri, the civil chancellor. In founding the dynasty, the king himself chose "Chakri" as the name for it. The emblem of the house is composed of the discus (Chakra) and the trident (Trishula), the celestial weapons of the gods Vishnu and Shiva, of whom the Thai sovereign is seen as an incarnation.

In terms of lineage, King Rama IV stated in his royal correspondence that the ancestry of the Chakri dynasty was not purely Thai but of mixed Mon and Chinese descent. According to historian Edward van Roy, Kosa Pan was the son of Phraya Kiat, a Mon noble who supported Naresuan during the fourth Burmese–Siamese War, and Chao Mae Wat Dusit [th], said to be a daughter of King Ekathotsarot and the wet nurse of Phetracha and Prince Narai, both future kings of Siam. Through his son Khunthong, Kosa Pan was a great-great-grandfather of King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty. His elder brother, Lek, held the post of foreign minister before him. Somdet Phra Pathom Boromma Mahachanok (Thongdee), meanwhile, was the father of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok. Some theories further propose that the dynasty may descend from King Naresuan the Great of Ayutthaya, which—if correct—would link it by blood to the Phra Ruang dynasty of the Sukhothai.

The current head of the house is Vajiralongkorn who was proclaimed king on 1 December 2016, but has reigned with retroactive effect since 13 October 2016 after the death of his father Bhumibol Adulyadej. The house's current seat is the Grand Palace. On Saturday, 4 May 2019, the coronation of Vajiralongkorn, with the traditional ceremony, occurred in Bangkok.

The present royal family of Thailand belongs to the House of Mahidol (Thai: ราชสกุลมหิดล; RTGS: Ratchasakun Mahidon), a cadet branch of the Chakri dynasty. The House was founded by Prince Mahidol Adulyadej (1891–1929) and Princess Srinagarindra (1900–1995). The Prince was a son of King Chulalongkorn and his wife Queen Savang Vadhana. The Prince was also the half-brother of both King Vajiravudh and King Prajadhipok. After the death of King Ananda Mahidol (Prince Mahidol's elder son), King Bhumibol Adulyadej (the Prince's younger son) ascended the throne in 1946. In 1949 the King married his first cousin once removed, Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara (a daughter of Mom Chao Nakkhatra Mangala Kitiyakara, a grandson of King Chulalongkorn). Bhumibol was succeeded by his son Vajiralongkorn officially on 13 October 2016, but was proclaimed King on 1 December 2016.

This is a list of current members of the royal family:

The Maha Uparat (มหาอุปราช) or the Krom Phrarajawang Boworn Sathan Mongkol (Vice or Second King of Siam/Viceroy of Siam) (กรมพระราชวังบวรสถานมงคล) was an office that was bestowed on the highest ranking prince, frequently the monarch's younger brother or son. Until 1885 every Chakri monarch had appointed a prince to this office. The Uprarat and his miniature court would reside at the Front Palace (วังหน้า) (a palace complex to the north of the Grand Palace, now the site of the Bangkok National Museum). By tradition the Uparat was designated the heir to the throne, however only Prince Itsarasunthon was able to ascend the throne as King Phutthaloetla Naphalai. The office was extremely prestigious and carried with it almost equal status to the king, this can be seen in Prince Chutamani (younger brother of King Mongkut), who was elevated to Vice King Pinklao in 1851 (he carried with him the styles and titles of a King). The office was abolished by King Chulalongkorn when his Uparat and cousin Prince Wichaichan died. He then declared his oldest son the crown prince of Siam, but not Uparat.

Krom Phrarajawang Boworn Sathan Phimuk (กรมพระราชวังบวรสถานพิมุข), or the Rear Palace, was another office inherited from the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. However, since the founding of the dynasty there has only been one rear palace. Prince Anurak Devesh was the nephew of King Phutthayotfa Chualok (his mother Princess Thepsuthavadi was the king's elder sister) and was appointed to the office in 1785.