Thailand's Crown Prince has divorced his wife in a dramatic fall from grace for a senior princess that comes at a time of heightened anxiety over the health of Thailand's revered but ailing monarch.
A statement published by the palace overnight in the Royal Gazette said Princess Srirasmi had relinquished her royal status, a move that ends her 13-year marriage to Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.
The announcement comes after a string of the princess' relatives were arrested in a high-profile corruption scandal that has sent shockwaves through Thailand's elite.
"The king has granted permission to announce that Princess Srirasmi, the wife of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, has informed in a written document that she has resigned from her royal status," the palace said in its short statement.
Analysts said the Crown Prince's split from his wife will deepen fears for the monarchy's future as Thailand's 87-year-old monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej enters the twilight of his reign.
In May, Thailand's military seized power after months of violent street protests saying it needed to do so to protect the monarchy and restore order to the politically divided nation.
The king -- who is revered by many Thais as a semi-divine figure -- has been largely confined to hospital this year and pulled out of plans to hold a public audience earlier this month during his birthday celebrations.
Srirasmi married the Crown Prince in 2001 and had been expected to become queen. The couple have a son who was thought to be Prince Vajiralongkorn's most likely heir.
"This announcement will add a greater sense of uncertainty and anxiety among Thais over the future of their monarchy -- not just with the current generation, but with later generations too," Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Thai expert at Japan's Kyoto University, told AFP.
'Rumours and arrests'
Thailand has been awash with rumours of Srirasmi's fate for weeks after a slew of her relatives were caught up in a widening police corruption scandal.
Several high profile figures have been arrested including a host of senior policemen and military officers, while one of Thailand's richest men is on the run from police on charges relating to the probe.
But reportable facts on Srirasmi's status were scant.
The country's monarchy is protected by some of the world's strictest lese majeste laws. Both local and international media must heavily self-censor when covering the country's royal family.
The first indications that the 43-year-old's royal status could be in doubt came earlier this month when the Crown Prince announced that members of her family had been forbidden from using the surname "Akkharapongpricha".
At least three relatives with that surname were arrested in the corruption scandal, and the name represents an honorific title given to some of Srirasmi's family following her marriage to the prince.
Many of the more than 20 detained have been charged for defaming the monarchy, with police saying they had made "false claims" about their relationship to a royal to justify committing crimes that allegedly ranged from running illegal casinos to oil smuggling, kidnapping and extortion.
Under section 112 of Thailand's criminal code, anyone convicted of defaming, insulting or threatening the king, queen, heir or regent faces between three and 15 years in prison on each count.
Even repeating details of the charges could mean breaking the law.
In recent days there were increasing signals Srirasmi was no longer part of the royal family.
In an unusual break from tradition, there was no mention of her in the royal household news broadcasts on December 9, her birthday.
The next day she disappeared from the opening sequence of the nightly royal news broadcasts, which features portraits of all the kingdom's senior royals.
The princess was last seen in public on December 6 when she presided over the 9th anniversary of her pet project, an organisation called "The Family Bond Project".
The report on the Ministry of Education website says the project "aims to promote and strengthen love and learning between all family members".
AFP
Sat Dec 13 2014
This Aug 31, 2007 file photo shows Thailand's Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn accompanied by his royal consort Princess Srirasm, as he shakes hands with Britain's Prince Andrew in Kuala Lumpur. - AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin, File
Kagame, menang 99.5 peratus pilihan raya Rwanda
Paul Kagame meneruskan khidmatnya buat penggal keempat berturut-turut sebagai Presiden Rwanda, selepas memenangi 99.15 peratus undi dalam pilihan raya negara itu.
Polis kerah lebih 300 anggota kawal perlawanan Piala FA
Seramai 351 anggota polis ditugaskan bagi mengawal perlawanan separuh akhir Piala FA antara Terengganu FC (TFC) dengan Selangor FC di Stadium Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (SSMZA) Jumaat ini.
Dua warga AS antara yang ditemui maut di bilik hotel di Thailand
Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat ambil maklum mengenai laporan mengenai dua warganegaranya yang ditemui mati di sebuah hotel di Thailand.
EU tolak label UNRWA sebagai organisasi pengganas
Ketua Dasar Luar Kesatuan Eropah (EU), Josep Borrell mengulangi penolakan blok itu melabel Agensi Bantuan dan Kerja Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu untuk Pelarian Palestin (UNRWA) sebagai organisasi pengganas.
Mengimbau sedekad tragedi MH17
Pesawat MH17 Malaysia Airlines ditembak jatuh di timur Ukraine sejurus berlepas dari Lapangan Terbang Schiphol di Amsterdam, mengorbankan kesemua 283 penumpang dan 15 anak kapal di dalamnya.
Tragedi yang berlaku pada 17 Julai 2014 itu, kini memasuki tahun ke-10 kejadiannya.
Tragedi yang berlaku pada 17 Julai 2014 itu, kini memasuki tahun ke-10 kejadiannya.
Kerajaan teliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap, pastikan kewangan negara lebih mampan
Kerajaan sedang meneliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap bagi memastikan pengurusan kewangan negara yang lebih mampan.
PDRM gerak unit skuba forensik, K9 cari telefon, rantai Nur Farah Kartini hari ini
Proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Bangkai pesawat MH17 tanpa sayap imbau kekejaman tragedi menyayat hati
Keadaan serpihan pesawat MH17 Malaysia Airlines (MAS) yang cuba dibina semula tanpa sayap, tayar, ekor dan tempat duduk penumpang cukup menggerunkan sekali gus mengingatkan pada kekejaman yang meragut
VOP akan diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan - Ahmad
Pelaksanaan Syarat Perubahan Harga (VOP) susulan penyasaran subsidi diesel dijangka diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan lagi, kata Timbalan Menteri Kerja Raya Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
Industri minyak sawit disaran guna semula sisa untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan - Liew
Industri minyak sawit perlu mengkaji penggunaan semula sisa sebagai stok suapan penting untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan (SAF), di luar penggunaan tradisional minyak sawit.
Kes hukuman mati Saudi dua kali ganda di bawah Putera Mahkota Mohammed Salman - NGO
Kerajaan Saudi menjatuhkan sebanyak 133 hukuman mati sejak Jun 2017 hingga Mac 2018, berbanding 67 dalam tempoh lapan bulan sebelumnya.