Katya & The Prince of Siam

Katya & the Prince of Siam is the story of a daring love affair and marriage between a beautiful young Russian girl from Kiev and a Siamese prince, Prince Chakrabongse, one of King Chulalongkorn's favorite sons.

It tells of their meeting in St. Petersburg in 1904 where the prince had an honorary commission in the Hussars as a protogé of the Tsar, of their elopement to marry in Constantinople and their journey and arrival in Siam. At first an outcast in Thai society, Ekaterina Ivanovna Desnitsky, or Mom Katerin as she became known, gradually gained love and respect. In 1908, they had a son, Prince Chula and for the next 10 years enjoyed a happy life in Bangkok society as well as making various trips abroad and throughout Siam.

Making use of much hitherto unpublished archive material such as letters, diaries and photographs, the book gives a fascinating insight into life in both pre-revolutionary Russia and the Siamese court.

Text in Thai.