#princessofsiam — Public Fediverse posts

The Ukranian Princess of Siam

#KaterynaDesnytska was born in Lutsk, part of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine). She was born to a wealthy blended family - Both her parents had children from previous marriages, while their marriage together produced Kateryna + her brother Ivan. Following the death of her father, the family moved to Kyiv

After her mother’s death, Katya and her brother moved to St Petersburg where she studied nursing. While in Saint Petersburg, Katya enjoyed life in Russian high society. In 1905, she attended a grand ball hosted by Tsar Nicholas II where she met #Chakrabongse, the son of King Chulalongkorn of Siam, who had recently received military education in Saint Petersburg.

Despite falling in love, Katya volunteered as a nurse in Manchuria during the Russo-Japanese War. Chakrabongse kept in touch + on her return, he proposed + she accepted on the condition that she would be his only wife as Siamese society allowed polygamy for royals. This condition was accepted by Chakrabongse

Due to Russian priests’ refusal to marry a Buddhist + Orthodox, the 2 travelled in 1906 to Constantinople where they found an Orthodox priest who would marry them.

In Siam, Katya was then given the title of Princess Phitsanulok + had a son - Chula - born in 1908

When King Chulalongkorn died in 1910, he was succeeded by Chakrabongse’s older brother Vajiravudh. However, Vajiravudh’s lack of children meant that Chakrabongse became the heir-apparent.

The marriage stumbled when Katya discovered Chakrabongse was having an affair with his 15-year old niece. Despite swearing his love for Katya, he elevated his niece to status of a royal wife. Not pleased with polygamy, Katya divorced in 1919, but the divorce meant she had to leave her son in Siam with her father.

Katya met her only granddaughter just once – Narisa Chakrabongse (b. 1956), the daughter of her son Chula + his English wife Elizabeth Hunter. Narisa had a son, Catherine’s great-grandson, #HugoChakrabongseLevy, a musician + composer
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