Chula Chakrabongse


Chula Chakrabongse, was a member of the family of the Chakri Dynasty of Thailand and of the House of Chakkraphong. He was the only child of Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath and his Russian wife, :ru:Десницкая, Екатерина Ивановна|Ekaterina Desnitskaya. He was a grandson of King Chulalongkorn.

Early life

Prince Chula Chakrabongse was born on 28 March 1908 in Paruskavan Palace, Bangkok, with the title Mom Chao. Saovabha Phongsri, his grandmother, gave him the name Phongchak. Later his uncle, King Vajiravudh, raised him the higher rank of Phra Chao Worawong Thoe Phra Ong Chao and changed his name to Chunlachakkraphong. Palace officials affectionately called him "the Little Prince".
When very young, Chula was sent to study in the United Kingdom, where he spent his teenage years, attending Harrow School. He graduated with Bachelor and Master from Trinity College, University of Cambridge.

Later life

In 1938 he married Elizabeth Hunter, an English woman. Their daughter, Mom Rajawongse Narisa Chakrabhongse, was born in 1956.
They lived at Tredethy, St Mabyn, in Cornwall in the 1940s and 1950s.
When Prince Chula's cousin Prince Birabongse Bhanudej went to England in 1927, Chula was supervising a racing team called :Image:BiraMouse.jpg|White Mouse Racing. Prince Bira decided to drive for him.
In 1936 Chula's White Mouse team purchased an ERA for Bira, and he quickly became one of the leading exponents of this class of international racing. Bira's partnership with Chula ended in late 1948.
Prince Chula was the author of thirteen books, including a history of the Chakri Dynasty, a biography about the race-car driver Richard Seaman and an autobiography.
Prince Chula died of cancer in 1963 at the age of 55.

Honours

Thai