monarchy

Sirikit built a global image as a style icon and philanthropist, helping humanise the monarchy as Thailand navigated decades of transformation, including 10 military coups.

"It was hate at first sight," she said in a 1980 BBC documentary about the Thai monarchy, Soul of a Nation, adding that he had arrived late to their first meeting.

The symbolic point of coming here was that before the Reformation this was a church associated with the English monarchy.

The reaction from his party and his media allies confirms that they don’t just tolerate the performance of absolute monarchy.

For the monarchy, already facing questions about its relevance and transparency, Andrew’s quiet surrender of titles represents yet another effort to distance the institution from one of its most damaging scandals.