Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the eldest daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died aged 47, the royal palace announced on Friday, more than three years after she was hospitalised following a sudden illness.
The Bureau of the Royal Household said the princess had been suffering from an abdominal infection and that “her condition continued to worsen” until she “passed away peacefully” on Thursday evening. She will lie in state at the Grand Palace, with her funeral held “with the highest honours according to royal tradition.”
Known in Thailand as “Princess Bha,” she was the only child of King Vajiralongkorn’s first marriage to Princess Soamsawali. She had been hospitalised since December 2022, with her condition worsening by May 2026, requiring medical support for her lung and kidney functions, reports AFP/BSS.
A trained prosecutor and diplomat, Bajrakitiyabha was educated in Thailand, Britain and the United States, earning a law degree from Cornell University. She served as Thailand’s ambassador to Austria, held positions with the United Nations, and advocated for women’s rights, including improved conditions for female prisoners.
The princess also held senior ceremonial and military roles in Thai society and was seen as close to her father. King Vajiralongkorn, 73, has not announced his chosen heir. Thailand’s strict lese-majeste laws govern public commentary about the royal family.
