Princess Anne to meet Thai king on Asia tour weeks after death of his eldest daughter

Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, is to hold a formal audience with Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn during the final leg of her upcoming official Asia tour — a visit that will take place just over a month after the death of the king's eldest daughter, Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, who passed away aged 47 on Thursday following nearly four years in a coma.

Anne will undertake the tour alongside her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, travelling from 13 to 17 July, visiting both South Korea and Thailand. The timing of her Thai schedule is expected to draw questions given the country's period of royal mourning.

Anne's Thailand programme

During her time in Thailand, the Princess Royal is also confirmed to pay her respects to Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, as part of her official engagements. The visit represents the concluding stage of the wider South and East Asia tour, Reuters reported.

Death of Princess Bajrakitiyabha

Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha, widely known by her nickname Princess Pa, died on Thursday evening after her condition deteriorated due to an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias and blood clotting disorders, according to a statement from the royal palace.

She had been hospitalised since December 2022, when she lost consciousness suddenly due to a heart condition while visiting the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima and was airlifted by helicopter to Bangkok for emergency treatment. Born on 7 December 1978 to the then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali, she spent close to four years in a coma before her death at the age of 47.

A life of public service and diplomacy

Bajrakitiyabha will be remembered in Thailand for her considerable contributions to public life, particularly her advocacy work aimed at improving conditions for female prisoners. She also pursued a distinguished academic and legal career, studying law at Cornell University, where she earned both a Master's degree and a Doctorate, before serving as an attorney in the Thai Office of the Attorney-General between 2006 and 2011.