BANGKOK <\/span>\u2013 The death of Thai Princess <\/span><\/a>Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol<\/span><\/a>, once seen as a potential heir, has raised the question of royal succession in a country where the monarchy wields enormous power.\u00a0<\/p>\n King Maha Vajiralongkorn, himself appointed crown prince at the age of 20, has yet to name a successor nearly a decade after taking the throne.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 73-year-old\u2019s eldest daughter, who died on June 11 after being hospitalised for nearly four years, played the most active public role of his children and had been given the rank of army general.\u00a0<\/p>\n Only two of his remaining six children have royal titles \u2013 a prince and a princess \u2013 while the others live abroad after their exile from Thailand alongside their mother.\u00a0<\/p>\n Discussion about the royal family is a highly sensitive issue in Thailand, where a strict lese majeste law prohibits insults and criticism against the monarchy, with a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although a palace law dating back to 1924 bars princesses from the line of succession, changes to the Constitution in 1974 allow for a princess to be appointed by the Privy Council \u2013 the King\u2019s panel of advisers \u2013 in the event that the throne becomes vacant without an officially designated heir.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some observers believed that paved the way for Bajrakitiyabha to potentially become the country\u2019s first queen regnant, boosted by her senior royal status and extensive official duties, including a position as a diplomat in Austria and several roles within the United Nations. She was also an advocate for prison reform and her campaign led to the UN adoption of the Bangkok Rules aimed at enhancing the lives of female inmates in 2010.\u00a0<\/p>\n The King has no children with his current and fourth wife, Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana, 48.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, the spotlight turns to his daughter and five sons. Here are his potential successors:\u00a0<\/p>\n A file photo from May 2019 showing (from left) Thailand\u2019s Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol and King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The Prince is now widely considered an heir presumptive under the palace succession law.<\/p>\n PHOTO: AFP<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Prince Dipangkorn is the youngest and only son with a royal title, born to Vajiralongkorn\u2019s third wife, Srirasmi Suwadee. He is widely considered an heir presumptive under the palace succession law.\u00a0<\/p>\n The young prince received elementary education at Thailand\u2019s elite Chitralada School in Dusit Palace before studying abroad in Germany, where the King has previously spent a lot of time. When Dipangkorn returns to Thailand during school breaks, he often visits Buddhist temples and discusses religious matters with the Supreme Patriarch.\u00a0<\/p>\n The King divorced the Prince\u2019s mother in 2014, and the government said that she resigned from royal life. Her parents were charged with lese majeste and served more than two years in prison.\u00a0<\/p>\n Thai Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana and Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti on a royal barge in October 2024. The Princess holds a royal rank granted to her by the previous monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in 2005.<\/p>\n PHOTO: EPA<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Princess Sirivannavari is the only daughter among five children by the King\u2019s second wife, former actress Sujarinee Vivacharawongse. Unlike her siblings, she lives in Thailand and holds a royal rank granted to her by the previous monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in 2005.\u00a0<\/p>\n As the only other child of Vajiralongkorn with a royal title, the Princess is seen as behind her half-brother Dipangkorn in the line of succession.<\/p>\n<\/picture><\/div>