An unusually ordinary young woman

I had already heard the story of this young woman and her possible influence on Thai history. I didn't know what to think of it. But a few weeks ago, this young woman was given a name and a face for me: Marylène Ferrari.

Personnel

Marylène was born around 1925 and lived in her youth on Avenue Verdeuil in Lausanne, Switzerland. Her father, Eugène Ferrari, was a pastor, editor of a Christian magazine, and worked for Protestant radio. He passed away in 1961. After graduating from high school, she started studying law at the University of Lausanne in 1943 (in the middle of the Second World War; Switzerland was neutral in the war and was not occupied). There she met another 1st year student, a Thai young man named Ananda, the King of Thailand.

Friendship

Marylène and Ananda became good friends. They played tennis together, went to concerts and the movies together, and cycled along Lake Geneva. They also sometimes did their homework together. Ananda was a better student than Marylène. He was visibly disappointed when he and she failed to pass exams. To help her, Ananda had to go to her house. Protocol forbade him to meet her only in his own home. That was possible if more college friends came to visit at the same time, such as on his 20th birthday.

Both knew that their friendship could very likely never become more than a casual friendship. Intellectually anyway. According to the law, the Thai king must always marry a Thai woman. Princess Mahidol, Ananda's mother, had urged him not to neglect his duties and duties as king. But Marylène's father also warned her, especially about the weaker, submissive position of women in general in Asia.

The friendship did not end when Ananda returned to Bangkok in 1946 for his coronation. From Karachi (a stopover on the way to Bangkok) Ananda Marylène sent a postcard, as always under code names that they always used in Lausanne. Once in Bangkok, he wrote to her every week, called twice and ordered every letter from her to be delivered to him immediately. If it was a friendship, it was a deep friendship. According to the Ferrari family chronicle, it was not a serious love affair because Marylène knew it was impossible.

Not long before his death on June 9, 1946, Ananda wrote to her that his mother had organized a meeting in which he would meet three young Thai women. One of them would presumably become his wife.

Questions and rumours

Researchers who wanted to know more about how Marylène fared in life have hit a bone so far. Her name can no longer be found in all kinds of population registers. She seems to have been married to Leon Duvoisin on January 14, 1951. It is also unknown whether she had children, where they live now and even whether she is still alive. In that case, she would be about 90 years old now. There are rumors that she has left for England or the United States, but that cannot be confirmed.

The person who could probably answer a number of questions has taken the secret of this (quite special) friendship with him in his death.