2 min read
Thailand’s Queen Suthida wore a glittering diamond necklace to a state dinner at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Monday night. It also happens to be one of the most storied pieces in the Thai royal collection.
HENRIQUE CAMPOS//Getty Images
According to Hola, the queen appeared to be wearing the historic Rivière diamond necklace, a piece originally created for Queen Saovabha Phongsri, wife of King Chulalongkorn and mother of Kings Vajiravudh and Prajadhipok, who became the country’s first female regent in 1897. The bauble has an interesting history: it reportedly vanished from public view following Queen Saovabha’s death in 1919 and remained out of sight for decades, until Queen Sirikit was seen wearing it again revived it during a European tour in 1960. It has since been seen on Thai queen consorts at formal state occasions. Queen Suthida previously wore the necklace to a reception at Buckingham Palace marking the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Mark Cuthbert//Getty Images
Queen Suthida at Buckingham Palace in 2023.
The dinner came during a Thai state visit that began Sunday, when King Maha Vajiralongkorn, whose regal name is Rama X, and Queen Suthida arrived in France under heavy police escort alongside the King’s daughter, Princess Sirivannavari. It marks the Thai monarch’s second state visit since ascending the throne in 2016 and is a reciprocal gesture following French President Emmanuel Macron’s 2022 trip to Thailand. The state visit is also meant to commemorate the 170th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. After concluding their time in Paris, the royal couple will travel to Toulouse to tour the Airbus headquarters.
Princess Sirivannavari’s presence in Paris is notable beyond her royal role. She maintains a significant presence in the city as a fashion designer, having earned a master’s degree from the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and frequently appearing front row at major Paris Fashion Week shows. In 2007, Sirivannavari was invited by French fashion house Balmain to present her own show in Paris.
Antoine Gyori – Corbis//Getty Images
Queen Suthida, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, President Macron, First Lady Brigitte Macron, and Princess Sirivannavari ahead of the state dinner.
Abdul Saboor//Getty ImagesThe Queen and First Lady in matching pink ensembles. In Thai culture, pink is often worn on Tuesdays as a sign of good fortune.
The trip also marks one of the Thai royal family’s first major public appearances since the death of King Rama’s eldest daughter, Princess Bajrakitiyabha, at the age of 47 earlier this month. Princess Bajrakitiyabha had been in a coma since December 2022 after collapsing while walking her dogs. She had long been considered a likely successor to her father on the Thai throne.
Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at @rk.passport.