Sri Suriyendra was the queen of Siam, wife of Phutthaloetla Naphalai, who was her cousin, and mother ofMongkut and Pinklao. She was later named, upon the coronation of her son Mongkut, as Krom Somdet Phra Sri Suriyendramataya. Princess Bunrot was a daughter of Princess Sri Sudarak and her Chinese husband Ngoen Saetan. Princess Bunrot lived with her mother in the Grand Palace and grew up with her maternal female cousins, the daughters of Phutthayotfa Chulalok. Princess Bunrot had an affair with her cousin, Prince Isarasundhorn, a son and heir apparent to King Phutthayotfa Chulalok. In 1801, the King discovered the princess' four-month pregnancy and banished her from the Grand Palace to live with her brother Prince Thepharirak. Prince Isarasundhorn begged his father to no avail to return the princess to the palace. The couple eventually settled at the Old Palace and Princess Bunrot became the prince's consort. The baby died, however, shortly after birth. With Prince Isarasundhorn, she bore three sons:
The first, born in 1801, died shortly after birth;
Prince Mongkut, or later King Mongkut, born in 1804;
Following Prince Isarasundhorn's coronation as Phutthaloetla Naphalai, Princess Bunrot was raised to the rank of queen. She was not the only wife though as the Siamese monarchs were allowed have many consorts in accordance with tradition. Sri Suriyendra shared her husband with Princess ConsortKunthon and Princess Riam and a number of the king's concubines. Her son, Prince Mongkut became a monk in 1824, the same year that Phutthaloetla Naphalai died. It was her son Mongkut who was to be crowned according to tradition. However, the nobility decided to offer the crown to Prince Tub, who became King Nangklao . Mongkut then remained a monk to avoidcourt intrigues. Sri Suriyendra then left the Grand Palace for the Old Palace to live with her son Prince Isaret. She stayed there until her death in 1836, she did not live to see her son Mongkut crowned.
