The British royal family, the Thai king, Japan’s Empress Masako – what was the most shocking royal event of 2019?

Dec 24 , 2019

Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Japan’s Empress Masako were all in the news this year. Photos: SCMP

We plebeians have a never-ending fascination with royalty – be it with Queen Elizabeth or the Thai king’s personal affairs – and this year has been an eventful time for both Western and Eastern royals alike. Here, we chart the significant milestones, announcements and news from 2019.

The Thai king’s ex-wife in exile: Sujarinee Vivacharawongse’s life and legacy

Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, the second wife of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Photo: Alchetron

Meet the 21-year-old Indian ‘king’ renting out his palace on Airbnb

Member of the former ruling family of Jaipur State, Padmanabh Singh. Photo: Instagram

Why aren’t Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton neighbours any more?

Meghan Markle, left, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, attend the first Royal Foundation Forum in London. Photo: Rota/i-Images/Zuma Press/TNS

How Japan’s Empress Masako came out of the shadows

Empress Masako, poses for a photo at her residence in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Imperial Household Agency of Japan/Handout

The world’s 21 richest royals revealed

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn at the Royal Barge procession near the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters

Is Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn a modern-day Henry VIII?

5 things to know about the Thai king’s former royal consort

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and General Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, the royal consort, pose at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. The king stripped his royal consort Sineenat of her titles and military ranks. Photo: Royal Household Bureau/Handout/Reuters

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Royalty

Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton are no longer neighbours and the Thai king’s consort was removed – but what other royal events made it into the news?