Ekaterina ‘Katya’ Desnitskaya – The Russian Princess of Siam

Ekaterina ‘Katya’ Desnitskaya was born 1886 in Lutsk, Ukraine. The story of her marriage to the Siamese Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath has intrigued many people over different generations, since a marriage between a Russian lady and a Prince of the Siamese Royal Family was considered impossible and unimaginable at that time. Hence, the couple and in particular Katya, who is also called the Russian Princess of Siam, had to face a lot of opposition and also undisguised anger of the Siamese Royal Family. In fact, their marriage was regarded as a “a national dynastic catastrophe” quoting Chakrabongse’s full brother Prince Pradjadhipok.

‘Katya’ – Russian Princess of Siam

Ekaterina Desnitskaya who became the Russian Princess of Siam (photo credit: viola.bz)

Thus, who was the young Ukrainian lady who made such a bold step? Since Katya’s parents died relatively early in her life, she went to St. Petersburg in 1903 where her older brother Ivan studied. Thus, as young teenager, she already graduated as a nurse from the Sisters of mercy courses.

Ekaterina met Prince Chakrabongse around 1905 when he had already been living seven years in Russia and had even become Colonel of the Russian Army. As a matter of fact, the Prince spent most of his youth in Russia because his father King sent him there. The King was concerned with modernizing Siam, for this reason he sent some of his sons abroad.

Ekaterina Desnitskaya and Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath (photo credit: viola.bz)

Prince Chakrabongse immediately fell in love with Katya. However they were separated for a while because of the Russian-Japanese war where Katya served as a nurse. Finally in 1906 the couple married in an Orthodox church in Constantinople. This was very unconventional since the Prince was a Buddhist. Nonetheless, the Prince had not asked his parents’ permission to marry the young Russian lady because he knew that they would be vehemently against their alliance.

Certainly, you remember my recent article about Prince Chula Chakrabongse – well, then you know that he is the only son of Prince Chakrabongse and Ekaterina who was born 1908 in Bangkok.

Ekaterina Desnitskaya and her small son Prince Chula (photo credit: songkran.eu)

However, Katya was not acknowledged by Prince Chakrabongse’s parents and hence, she became a kind of outcast of the Siamese Royal Family. Nevertheless, Katya was able to ‘build bridges’. She began to wear Siamese dresses, mastered Thai language and after all, the King grew fond of his grandson Prince Chula and accepted him as ‘flesh and blood’. This was because the King felt that the little Prince looked more Thai than European. Prince Chula and his mother Katya (photo credit: blog.i.ua)

After King Chulalongkorn’s death Katya was awarded official status and became Mom Catherina Na Phitsanlunok, named after the province that her husband was responsible for. About ten years Katya lived happily in Bangkok with her husband Prince Chakrabongse. However, finally the Prince had a love affair with his young cousin Princess Chavalit. Thus, Katya decided to get divorced and go to Shanghai in China where she helped refugees from the Soviets- it was the time of the Russian revolution.

A short while later in 1920 Prince Chakrabongse died at the age of 37 and Katya returned to to attend the funeral. Nevertheless, it was also a tragic situation because she was not allowed to take her son, Prince Chula, with her. Mother and son were separated and both were very unhappy and sorrowful about this. Prince Chula did not become King but was sent to Britain where he spend his youth and studied while his mother married again and moved with her new husband, engineer Harry Clinton Stone, to the USA. Mother and son remained in contact by constantly writing each other letters. Summing up, we may say that it was a tragic love and marriage between Katya and Prince Chakrabongse. Their granddaughter, Narisa Chakrabongse, wrote their story down and the result was the novel ‘Katya & the Prince of Siam’ published in 2013 by River Books Press.

What is more, there is also a ballet version of their story. Here is a short clip to give you an impression

Finally we may say that Katya, the Russian Princess of Siam, certainly was a courageous and strong woman. For her time, she, a European lady, made a daring decision to marry a Siamese Prince and to move to Thailand where she was a stranger. In addition, Katya, who is also the great- grandmother of Thai ‘royal rocker’Hugo Chakrabongse Levy, proved to be very flexible and adapted herself to the ways in Siam.

Yours, Sirinya Prince Chula Chakrabongse of Siam: Writer & Motor Racing Enthusiast

Prince Chula Chakrabongse of Siam (จุล​จักร​พง​ษ์), born in March 1908, was a half-Thai member of the Siamese Royal Family and the House of Chakrabongse. He was the grandson of King Rama V of Siam and the only son of Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath (Prince of Bisnulok) and his Ukranian wife Ekaterina ‘Katya’ Desnitskaya who was a nurse. She is also referred to as the Russian princess of Siam.

Ekaterina Desnitskaya, the young prince & Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath (photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org)

In fact, Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath spent his youth in Russia. He spoke and wrote Russian perfectly, since his father, King Chulalongkorn, sent him abroad. The King’s aim was to modernize Siam. In 1906 he married ‘Katya’ Desnitskaya in Constantinople. King Chulalongkorn, however, very much disapproved of his son’s marriage to a European lady and thus refused to meet his daughter-in-law. Prince Chula Chakrabongse

About two years later, Prince Chula was born in Bangkok in the Parusakawan Palace. It is said that King Chulalongkorn was very happy about the birth of his grandson, in particular because the small prince looked very much Thai and less European Prince Chula was given the title ‘Mom Chao’ which means ‘His Serene Highness’. However, later his uncle, King Vajiravudh, gave him a higher rank. Since then he is called ‘Phra Chao Worawongse Ther Phra Ong Chao’ (His Royal Highness Prince).

Young Prince Chula Chakrabongse (photo credit: bbc.co.uk)

Prince Chula spent most of his youth in Britain. There he attended Harrow School and returned to Thailand at the age of 23. In 1938 he got married to the Englishwoman Elizabeth Hunter and they lived in Cornwall during the 1940s and 50s. Prince Chula & Elizabeth Hunter (photo credit: viola.bz)

Their daughter, Mom Ratchawong Narisa Chakrabongse, was born in 1956, 18 years after they got married. In fact, Narisa Chakrabongse is the mother of our Thai ‘royal rocker’Hugo Chakrabongse Levy. Thus, Prince Chula is his grandfather

Hugo Chakrabongse – Prince Chula’s grandson (img.kapook.com)

Prince Chula was very enthusiastic about motor racing. Hence, in England he was also supervising a racing team with the name ‘White Mouse Racing’. His younger cousin, Prince Bira (Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh), drove for him. Chula’s White Mouse team also bought an English Racing Automobile (ERA) for Bira in 1936. Thus, he became one of the most important exponents of this class of international racing. 50 years later, Prince Bira’s and Prince Chula’s racing car (‘Romulus’) was brought back to Thailand as the following video illustrates.

In addition, Prince Chula was also a writer and thus the author of some historical books concerning the Chakri dynasty. He wrote both in English and Thai. His most important works are Chao Chiwit, a book which is supposed to be one of the essential books that Thai people should read andLords of Life: the paternal monarchy of Bangkok, 1782-1932 which is the history of the Chakri dynasty. This book was first published in 1960.

Books by Prince Chula (simanaitissays.com)

What is more, the Prince also wrote the biography of racing Champion Dick Seaman in 1941 and his own autobiography called ‘The twain Have Met : An Eastern Prince Came West‘ (1956). However, seven years after publishing his autobiography, Prince Chula died of cancer in Thailand. Summing up, we may claim that Prince Chula Chakrabongse was talented as a writer and enthusiastic as a motor racer. In addition, he was a Siamese Prince of mixed Thai and European heritage (‘luk kreung’) which was unusual and rare at that time. However, he seemed to have felt at home both in Britain and in Thailand.

Yours, Sirinya

Thai ‘Royal Rocker’ Hugo Chakrabongse Levy

Last time I was in Thailand, I went to the house of my grand cousin and that was the first time I saw a music video of the Thai singer and songwriter Hugo Chakrabongse Levy who is an internationally acclaimed musician. The wife of my grand cousin asked my if I knew Hugo and she told me that he is related to the Thai royal family. Hence, I became curious to know more about this artist because he is part-Thai and proficient in both English and Thai. Thus, he sings songs both in English and Thai language as well. Royal Rocker Hugo*

Hugo Chakrabongse Levy’s Story

Hugo Chakrabongse Levy, born 1981 in England, is the great great grandson of King Rama V (Chulalongkorn). Hugo was raised in Thailand and his Thai name is Chulachak Chakrabongse. His artist name is the mononym ‘Hugo’.

Hugo Chakrabongse Levy*

In fact, Hugo’s mother is M.R. Narisa Chakrabongse, the daughter of Prince Chula Chakrabongse and granddaughter of ‘Katya – The Russian Princess of Siam’. Hugo’s father is the British-Jewish songwriter Allen Levy. When Hugo’s parents divorced, he moved with his mother to Thailand. In his adolescence, he became a singer in different bands and also worked as an actor in various Thai soap operas. As a matter of fact, Hugo’s music was not very popular in Thailand at first when he started his career with the band Siplor in 2001. However, he was recognized in the USA and became famous. Today, the CNN even calls him the ‘royal rocker of Thailand’!

Making independent music at first in Thailand, Hugo later turned more to mainstream music, claiming “take The Doors, The Beatles or even our very own Carabao. They are all popular mainstream bands and no one would ever doubt their credibility. That’s what I want to do.”(Hugo quoted from CNN)

Hugo became particularly recognized when his song ‘Disappear’ was featured on Beyoncé’s album “I Am…Sasha Fierce”. Hugo also featured the song ‘Disappear’ beautifully with Thai-Belgian singer Palmy. Hence, Jay-Z signed Hugo to his labelRoc Nation. Thus, Hugo became very popular with his cover of Jay-Z song “99 Problems”. It was Hugo’s first single and it became a great blues song because it was additionally featured in the romantic comedy ‘No Strings Attached’ with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. What is more, Hugo has been in some commercials like for instance this one for JASPAL.

In 2013, Hugo had the starring role in Young Bao the Movie which is about the life and times of Thailands most famous Rock band Carabao. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjQsuEoDXh0

Today Hugo lives both in the USA (New York) and in Thailand. In fact, he feels very much attached to Thailand. He says that he wants to come home and enjoy an early retirement with his family and friends in Thailand. One might be justified in saying that Hugo is not a typical Thai singer. However, do you like his music and do you accept him as a Thai musician?

Hugo – example of a distinctively mixed heritage (photo credit: img.kapook.com)

I think Hugo Chakrabongse Levy is kind of special because he is recognized in the Western world and also in Asia. Hence, he is one of the Thai celebrities with mixed origin. In my opinion, this is a great and special achievement He seems to feel home in both worlds.

Yours, Sirinya

*photo credit: Hugo, FB page