Ubol Ratana
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Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi ' onMouseout='HidePop("55511")' href="/topics/Royal_Thai_General_System_of_Transcription">RTGS:
Royal Thai General System of Transcription
The Royal Thai General System of Transcription is the official system for rendering Thai language words in the Latin alphabet, published by the Royal Institute of Thailand...

 —Ubonrat Ratchakanya Siriwatthana Phannawadi; Literally: "Princess Ubonratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi, daughter to the Queen Regent"), or Ubolratana in brief (born April 5, 1951 in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...

, Switzerland), is a princess of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 and the eldest child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...

 and Queen Regent Sirikit
Sirikit
Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat , is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand...

. She relinquished her royal title
Thai royal and noble titles
Thai royal and noble titles are the royal and noble styles signifying relationship to the King introduced by King Trailokanat, who reigned 1448 to 1488. The system is rooted in the Thai language equivalent of feudalism, .It is somewhat similar to that of peerage, but is complicated and usually not...

 and settled in the United States with her husband, Peter Ladd Jensen, but came back to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 after divorcing in 1998.

Since her return to Thailand, she has increasingly taken part in royal ceremonies, though not to the extent of her royal siblings. In 2008, she began a film career, playing the main role in the Thai film Where The Miracle Happens.

Early life

Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya is the eldest daughter and the eldest child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX of Thailand)
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...

 and Queen Sirikit, the Queen Regent of Thailand
Sirikit
Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat , is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand...

. She was born on April 5, 1951, at Mont Suisse Hospital, Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...

, Switzerland. She returned to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 and stayed at Ambhornsathan Throne Hall, Dusit Palace. She was style
Style (manner of address)
A style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...

d Her Royal Highness by her father at the Royal Celebration of the first month birthday ceremony (Phra Ratchaphithi Somphot Duean Lae Khuen Phra U; พระราชพิธีสมโภชเดือนและขึ้นพระอู่) King Bhumibol Adulyadej gave her name and style Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Phannavadi. Her names are derived from several royal ancestors:
  • The name Ubol Ratana comes from her maternal grandmother Mom Luang Bua Sanitvongse
  • The name Siri comes from the name of her mother, Queen Sirikit.
  • The name Vadhana comes from the name of her paternal great-grandmother, Queen Sri Savarindira (Savang Vadhana), the Queen Grandmother
    Savang Vadhana
    Queen Savang Vadhana of Siam was a consort of King Chulalongkorn or Rama V. Her full name and title was Queen Sri Savarindira - thus she was not the Rajini , but just was a highest consort...

    .


Moreover, she got her nickname, La Poupée, which means Doll. Her parents often called her Pée.

She has taken part in royal duties since she was very young.

In 4th SEA Games
Southeast Asian Games
The Southeast Asian Games , is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia...

 in 1967 in Bangkok, H.M. The King and Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya competed in the sport of sailing and won gold medals.

Education

Princess Ubol Ratana attended primary to secondary levels at Chitralada School. The Princess left Thailand to United States for her tertiary education. She studied Mathematics at MIT and Bachelor of Science Degree in Bio-Chemistry in 1973 later obtained a Master's Degree in public health at University of California at Los Angeles.

It was while at M.I.T. that she first met the man she would marry, Peter Ladd Jensen.

Marriage and family

On July 25, 1972, Princess Ubol Ratana relinquished her royal titles to marry Jensen, and then settled in the United States with her husband for over 26 years. Her husband, as a foreigner, did not receive any royal titles. After years of rumored marital problems, they divorced in 1998. Princess Ubol Ratana and her children lived in San Diego until 2001, when they relocated back to Thailand.

While living in the United States, Princess Ubol Ratana and Peter Ladd Jensen had three children: two daughters and a son, all born in the United States.
  • Khun Ploypailin Jensen (born February 12, 1981)
  • Khun Bhumi Jensen
    Bhumi Jensen
    Bhumi Jensen , was a grandson of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, after whom he was named. He was the son of the king's eldest daughter, Princess Ubol Ratana Rajakanya, and her American husband Peter Ladd Jensen. Bhumi Jensen, who was commonly known as Khun Poom, had autism...

     (affectionately known as Khun Poom) (August 16, 1983 – December 26, 2004) who had autism
    Autism
    Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...

    . Princess Ubol Ratana established the Khun Poom Foundation in his memory, to aid children with autism and other learning disabilities.
  • Khun Sirikitiya Jensen (born March 18, 1985)


While Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Jensen remained in the U.S., her mother Queen Sirikit and other members of the Royal family often flew to the United States for visits. Ubol Ratana likewise flew to Thailand along with her husband to visit her parents and the other members of the Royal Family, while joining them and taking part in royal ceremonies with the Royal Family when she visited Thailand.

Visiting Thailand

While living in the United States, Princess Ubol Ratana came to Thailand to visit the Royal Family many times. The first time, in 1980, she visited her parents and the other members of the Royal Family. The second time, in 1982, she came to attend the Royal Wedding of her sister, Princess Chulabhorn Walailak
Chulabhorn Walailak
Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand or Chulabhorn Walailak , born 4 July 1957 in Bangkok, is a Princess of Thailand, the youngest daughter of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej and HM Queen Sirikit of Thailand...

 and Royal Thai Air Force
Royal Thai Air Force
The Royal Thai Air Force or RTAF is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913, as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force had engaged in many major and minor battles. During the Vietnam war era, the air force has been developed with USAF-aid...

 Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...

 Virayudh Didyasarin. The third time, in 1987, she joined the Royal Celebration of the King's 60th Birthday Anniversary, 5 December 1987. The fourth time, in 1992, she joined the Royal Celebration of the Queen's 60th Birthday Anniversary, 12 August 1992. The last time she visited was in 1996, joining and taking part in the Royal Funeral and Cremation of her grandmother, Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother
Srinagarindra
Srinagarindra was a member of the Thai Royal Family and was a member of House of Mahidol, which is descended from Chakri Dynasty, originated by Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Prince of Songkla, son of King Chulalongkorn...

. She did not return again until her divorce in 1998, at which time she and her children permanently relocated to Thailand in 2001. She was given the title Tunkramom Ying, which means that "Daughter to the Queen Regent"

Royal title

Princess Ubol Ratana was born with the titles of Her Royal Highness and Princess Chao Fa, but gave these up on her marriage to an American citizen, Peter Ladd Jensen. Her title, Chao Fa was lost because she married a commoner. She had previously held the royal title Chao Fa Ubolratana Rajakunya. She still retains the style
Style (manner of address)
A style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...

 of Tunkramom Ying, which means that "HRH.Princess of Thailand" orChao Fa
Since her return to Thailand, she has increasingly taken part in royal ceremonies, though not to the extent of her royal siblings.

Film career

Princess Ubol Ratana acted in the Thai movie
Cinema of Thailand
The cinema of Thailand dates back to the early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by Francois-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, where it was exhibited...

 "Where The Miracle Happens" (หนึ่งใจ..เดียวกัน), released in August 2008. She plays the drama's main role of a lonely-at-the-top woman CEO who begins a life of philanthropy after the death of her only daughter.
On October 2010, She plays the Movie is My Best Bodyguard (มายเบสต์บอดีการ์ด) In real life the princess lost her only son in the 26 December 2004 tsunami that swept Thailand and other countries in the region.

Ancestry

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