Prince Bhisadej Rajani (; ; complete title: His Serene Highness Prince (Mom Chao) Bhisadej Rajani) (20 January 1922 – 23 July 2022) was a prince of Thailand, a member of the Thai royal family and a member of the House of Rajani, a royal house which was originated by his father and descends from

Chakri Dynasty The Chakri dynasty is the current reigning dynasty of the Thailand, Kingdom of Thailand. The head of the house is the Monarchy of Thailand, king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Rattanakosin era and ...

. He was one of the longest-living royal personages in the Thai history. He was a close friend of the late King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any List of Thai mo ...

, who was also his third-degree cousin (since they both shared a common great-great-grandfather, King

Rama II Phutthaloetla Naphalai (born Chim; 24 February 1767 or 1768 – 21 July 1824), also known by his regnal name Rama II, was the second King of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, ruling from 1809 to 1824. In 1809, Itsarasunthon succeeded his father R ...

and their great-grandfathers, King

Mongkut Mongkut (18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth Monarchy of Thailand, king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama IV. He reigned from 1851 until his death in 1868. The reign of Mongkut was marked by significant modernization ini ...

and Prince Pinklao were brothers, henceforth, King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his death in 1910 was cha ...

and Prince Wichaichan, their respective grandfathers were related as first cousins, which in turn begat their respective fathers, Princes Mahidol Adulyadej and Bidyalongkorn, who were related to each other as second cousins, henceforth, he and the late King and his siblings, the late Princess

Galyani Vadhana Galyani Vadhana, Princess of Naradhiwas (; ; 6 May 1923 – 2 January 2008) was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX). She was also a direct granddaughter of King Ch ...

and the late King

Ananda Mahidol Ananda Mahidol (20 September 19259 June 1946) was the eighth Monarchy of Thailand, king of Siam (later Thailand) from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VIII. At the time he was recognised as king by the National Assembly of Thailand, National ...

as well as the daughter of King

Vajiravudh Vajiravudh (1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth Monarchy of Thailand, king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VI. He reigned from 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts to create and pro ...

, the late Princess Bejaratana were all related to him as third-degree cousins). In addition, he was also an author and worked as one of the directors of the Royal Project Foundation for the late king. He was also a great-grandson of Siamese Viceroy, Prince Pinklao, who in turn was one of the sons of King

, a grandson of Prince Wichaichan and one of the grandnephews of King

as well as one of the nephews to Kings

and

Prajadhipok Prajadhipok (8 November 1893 – 30 May 1941) was the seventh king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VII. His reign was a turbulent time for Siam due to political and social changes during the 1932 Siamese revolution. He i ...

Early life and educations

Prince Bhisadej Rajani was born on 20 January 1922. He was the youngest son of Prince Rajani Chamcharas, the Prince of Bidyalongkorn (son of Prince Yodyingyos, the Prince Bovorn Vichaichan) and Mom Chao Barabimalabanna Voravan (daughter of Prince Vorawannakara, the Prince Naradhip Prabandhabongs). He was the great-grandson of the Viceroy Pinklao. He was the younger brother of Princess Vibhavadi Rangsit, Queen Sirikit's lady-in-waiting and well-known royalty author, who was shot down in a helicopter by insurgents while visiting soldiers. He graduated from Debsirin School and continued his education at

Dulwich College Dulwich College is a 2-18 private, day and boarding school for boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a public school, it began as the College of God's Gift, founded in 1619 by Elizabethan actor Edward Alleyn, with the original purpose of ...

in England where he played rugby, tennis, and squash. Running many races a day, young Prince Bhisadej finally won the ''Victor Ludorum'' gold medal (Latin for 'winner of the games') at the annual Thai students in the UK meeting. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he joined the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

in 1943 as a soldier and British spy. He was trained to walk up the hills with a rifle and heavy back pack. He trekked the

Himalayan Mountains The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 peak ...

for two weeks with an army from Darjeeling Hill Station in India to Nathula Pass in

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

. After the army training, he engaged the underground resistance movement activities against Japanese called ''

Free Thai Movement The Free Thai Movement (, , ) was a Thai underground resistance movement against the Empire of Japan during the Second World War. The Free Thai Movement were an important source of military intelligence for the Allies in the region. Background ...

'' during the War. After the war, he came back to Thailand and worked as an officer in the

Border Patrol Police The Border Patrol Police (; (BPP) is a Thai paramilitary police under the jurisdiction of the Royal Thai Police, responsible for border security, counterinsurgency, disaster relief, law enforcement, operating in difficult terrain, and supporting ...

in their schools along the northern Thai border for a few years.

Royal duties

Prince Bhisadej was a close friend of King Bhumibol Adulyadej since the king held the title ''Prince'' during his elder brother's, King Ananda Mahidol, reign. In a 1969

narcotics The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "I make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...

campaign, during which

hill tribe Hill people, also referred to as mountain people, is a general term for people who live in the hills and mountains. This includes all rugged land above and all land (including plateaus) above elevation. The climate is generally harsh, with s ...

villagers in the northern territory grew

opium Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid mor ...

, King Bhumibol Adulyadej established the Royal Project Foundation centred in Fang District under his command to encourage hill tribes to renounce opium-growing. As president of the organisation, Bhisadej gave advice to them about growing instead cash crops such as strawberries, peaches, plums, as well as vegetables and fruits. He also served as president of the Thai-United Nations Hill-Tribe Economic Development Project and of the Highland Agricultural Research Committee.

Later life

While working in

Chiang Mai Province Chiang Mai is the largest Provinces of Thailand, province (''changwat'') of Thailand by area. It lies in Northern Thailand#Regional classification of northern Thailand, upper northern Thailand and has a population of 1.78 million people. It ...

, Prince Bhisadej lived a very simple lifestyle. His hobbies were reading, listening to music, and photography. He was fond of photography from the time that he was 14 years old. He enjoyed taking pictures of flowers grown at The Royal Development Centres, particularly English roses at The Royal Agricultural Station Ang Khang, which are in full bloom in April. He enjoyed novels and books about history and rural travels that describe the lives of farmers, especially in France and Spain. His last book in Thai entitled ''Cheewit Chun Chun'' (; ), published in 2002 under the pseudonym ''P. of Pramualmak'' (; ); the letter ''P'' stands for his name when romanised in the RTGS style, ''Phisadet''. His book is autobiographical and also deals with Thai history some 100 years ago. Prince Bhisadej was respected by Thais for his dedication and long contributions to King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Royal Projects. The prince was frequently invited to preside over academic or international meetings and social events. He turned 100 in January 2022, and died on 23 July, the 77th anniversary of his father's death.

Marriage

Prince Bhisadej married his first cousin, Mom Rajawongse Dajriraj Vorawan, daughter of Mom Chao Nitayakara Vorawan and Mom Kaew Vorawan na Ayudhya. She is the granddaughter of Prince Voravannakara, the Prince Naradhip Prapanpongse, and is the direct niece of Mom Chao Barabimalabanna Voravan, who is Prince Bhisadej's mother. The couple had two daughters and one son: * Mom Rajawongse Dajrabimala Rajani * Mom Rajawongse Bhavari Rajani * Mom Rajawongse Dhiradej Rajani The prince and his family resided at Pramual Palace in Silom,

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

, but frequently resided at his private residence in the area of The Royal Project Development and Agricultural Centre, Doi Ang Khang, Fang District,

Title

* ''His Serene Highness'' Prince (Mom Chao) Bhisadej Rajani : 20 August 1922 – 23 July 2022

Honours

National honours

* Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao (5 May 1988) * Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted

Order of the White Elephant __NOTOC__ The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant (; ) is an order (decoration), order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Mongkut, Rama IV of the Thailand, Kingdom of Siam. Along with the Order of the Crown of Thailand, it is r ...

(2005) * Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Noble

Order of the Crown of Thailand The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand (; ) is a Thai order, established in 1869 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) for Thais, the royal family, governmental employees, and foreign dignitaries for their outstanding serv ...

(2004) * King Rama IX Royal Cypher Medal, 3rd Class (1954) * King Rama X Royal Cypher Medal, 1st Class (2019) * King Rama X Court Medal (1960)

Foreign honours

* : ** Commander 1st Class of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

(2001)ราชกิจจานุเบกษา
แจ้งความสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง พระราชทานพระบรมราชานุญาตให้ประดับเครื่องอิสริยาภรณ์ต่างประเทศ
เล่ม 118 ตอนที่ 2 ข หน้า 3, 8 กุมภาพันธ์ 2544

Ancestry

References

External links

* * ttp://kanchanapisek.or.th/kp12/english/main.htm The Royal Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Rajani, Bhisadej 1922 births 2022 deaths Thai male Mom Chao 20th-century Chakri dynasty 21st-century Chakri dynasty Rajani family Thai writers Order of Chula Chom Klao British Army personnel of World War II Thai men centenarians