Princce Vajiralongkorn

Thailand’s Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will succeed his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died at age 88. King Bhumibol was the world’s longest serving monarch and was regarded as a father to the nation. Thailand’s monarchs don’t have any formal political power, but over the course of his reign, King Bhumibol acquired immense moral influence.

Prince Vajiralongkorn will face a turbulent time in Thailand’s history. After his father’s health deteriorated, the 64-year-old prince took on more of the royal duties performed by the Thai Monarch. Previously, he served in the Thai Army, Navy and Air Force, and was a qualified pilot. He went to boarding school in England and graduated from Australia’s Royal Military College. Prince Vajiralongkorn has seven children from his three marriages. His mother once described him to reporters as “a little bit of a Don Juan”.

He had five children with the woman who had become his second wife before he was divorced from his first wife. His most recent marriage ended in 2014 after some of his third wife’s relatives were convicted for using the prince’s name to run and extortion racket. The Thai government declared a one-year mourning period for the King, the length of which might prepare Prince Vajiralongkorn to take over.