Thailand's Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has become his country's new king. He returned from abroad to Bangkok on Thursday, two days after parliament formally invited him to ascend the throne.
The Prince will be known as Rama X -- the 10th king of the 234-year-old Chakri Dynasty.
He is late King Bhumibol Adulyadej's only son. The 64-year-old studied as a young man in Britain and Australia. He's a qualified air force pilot, and travels frequently between Thailand and Germany, where he has a residence.
When the late King was ailing, he stood in for several years, performing royal duties along with his popular younger sister, Princess Sirindhorn.
Thai tradition dictates the new King can only be formally crowned after the former king's cremation -- which will be held in October of next year at the earliest.
King Bhumibol died on October 13th at the age of 88. His death ended a reign of 7 decades.
Officially, Thailand's king is a constitutional monarch with limited power. But King Bhumibol occasionally played the role of mediator in times of crisis in Thailand's turbulent politics.
He became deeply revered as a unifying figure. Many Thais have been overwhelmed by a sense of loss since his death.
Thailand is facing a time of deep political division. Following a military coup in 2014, a general election is scheduled for next year. Thailand and the new king have embarked on what could be a new era of constitutional democracy.
0 comments