How a Russian Nurse Became Duchess of Phitsanulok

Recently you were able to read the story of the adventures of the Siamese prince Chakrabongse, who was trained as an officer in the Russian army in Saint Petersburg, under the care of Tsar Nicholas II.

Here's just the link: www.thailandblog.nl/BACKGROUND/hoe-siamese-prins-officier-russische-leger-werd

The story ends after the Siamese prince secretly marries a Russian lady, Ekaterina 'Katya' Desnitskaya. This sequel is mainly about her.

Early years

Ekaterina 'Katya' Desnitskaya grew up in Kiev, which then still belonged to the Russian Empire, in a family that was once wealthy, but fell into decline. Her father died when she was 3 years old and when her mother also died she moved to her brother in St. Petersburg. She trained as a nurse there, because she wanted to work as a fervent patriot at the front during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1904

In St. Petersburg she had meanwhile met the Siamese prince Chakrabongse, who did his best to convince her to stay in the Russian capital, because he confessed to be in love with her. However, 17-year-old Katya was determined to serve her country. While she was in the Far East of Russia, the two lovers kept in touch through letters. The prince wrote, among other things: “Oh, if you were with me, everything would be perfect and nothing could spoil my happiness”. Katya was convinced that Prince Chakrabongse's feelings were sincere and when she returned to Saint Petersburg and proposed to the prince, she agreed to marry him.

Marriage

In a meeting with Tsar Nicholas II, Prince Chakrabongse told him that he wanted to return to Siam. There was no mention of his upcoming marriage to a Russian citizen, because that news would then be known quickly in Siam - even in those days without telephone or Internet. Prince Chakrabongse wanted to keep it a secret so that he could tell his parents in Siam that he was now married.

Prince Chakrabongse and Katya were married in a secret ceremony at a Greek Orthodox church in Constantinople (now Istanbul). That also had to remain a secret, because the Siamese prince was afraid that his good friend and Ottoman Emperor, Sultan Abdul Hamid II, would find out about the wedding and the news would soon be known to the Siamese royal family.

Traveling to Siam

The journey took months as the couple spent longer in Constantinople and then in Egypt for a honeymoon on the Nile before heading to Asia via Port Said. Katya's letters and diaries show that during that trip Katya was not only concerned about the life, food and culture of Siam, but even more about how the news of their marriage would be received in Siam. For that reason, Prince Chakrabongse left his wife Katya in Singapore and went to Bangkok alone. He kept his marriage a secret for almost three weeks, but when the rumors reached his parents, he made arrangements for Katya to come to Siam. .

The early days in Siam

Chakrabongse's father, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) carried out a fair amount of reform in Siam at the time, for he believed the country needed to be modernised, albeit in a slow and steady manner. Although he now disapproved of consanguineous marriages, then common among the Siamese nobility, King Rama V was unwilling to accept a foreign daughter-in-law. Prince Chakrabongse became second in line to the throne, because the idea of ​​a Siamese king with a European wife went too far for Rama V. He also refused to meet Katya and as a result, no significant family in Bangkok invited the couple.

Letters to her brother

In the first letters Katya wrote to her brother, she talked about her transition to Siam, her rather isolated life and her thoughts about her husband Lek, Siamese nickname for Prince Chakrabongse. “Life here is better than I expected. Of course I understand that our marriage would not be accepted just like that, but now that I'm a little better informed about the Siamese culture, I must honestly say that I find Lek's step to marry me scandalous. Remember, Lek is a Siamese and as a Buddhist and son of the king must have been well acquainted with the ideas and prejudices of his homeland.”

Duchess of Bisnulok

Katya was given the title of Duchess of Bisnukok, as Chakrabongse was the titular monarch of that city, now known as Phitsanulok. Katya and Chakrabongse lived in Paruskavan Palace in Bangkok. Katya knew the reservations against her and all she could do was act like the perfect daughter-in-law. She took every opportunity to melt the hearts of the royal family. Katya changed her European lifestyle, she learned Siamese and English, dressed in Siamese style and took care of the maintenance of the palace and gardens.

Katya was quite confused about relations with the staff. She wrote to her brother: “The servants consider it an honor to be able to work for the royal family and do so without receiving any remuneration.” She thought that was special, especially when you realize that all servants were of noble descent. Katya also thought it strange that all the servants crawled out of respect for her.

Although she was a devout Orthodox Christian, Katya developed a love for Buddhism. “The more I get to know Buddhist customs, the more I love the religion,” she wrote in another letter to her brother.

Katya was skeptical of the other Europeans living in Siam and lamented their racist attitude towards the Siamese. “Disgusting, because although they are employed by Siam and are paid well, the Europeans consider the Siamese inferior and mock them,” Katya wrote.

Katya becomes a mother

Katya's "blockade" within the royal family was suddenly lifted when Katya gave birth to a son and King Rama V said: "I loved my grandson instantly, he is my flesh and blood after all and besides, he doesn't look good like a European.

Cha Chul “Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, Jr., the son of Katya and Lek brought joy back to the palace. Queen Saovobha, Chakrabongse's mother, who initially refused to accept the marriage of Katya and Lek, was now delighted with her first grandson. She took great care of the baby without taking into account what the parents wanted of the child. Every day she had to see the boy and then took him to her own bedroom.

Golden years

With the birth of Prince Chula, a series of golden years began for Katya. In many of her letters, Katya described Siam as a paradise. She suddenly became a prominent figure in “society” and organized large gatherings in the palace, linking European and Siamese traditions. The food at those gatherings was prepared by Russian and Siamese chefs.

The couple now owned another home across the river from Wat Arun and a large mansion in the resort town of Hua Hin. She had a wonderful life and traveled all over the country and also to Europe. She traveled alone, because Prince Chakrabongse was a high-ranking military officer, who was often away from home due to his duties.

Parting

Katya knew that Prince Chakrabongse would not become king and she would not become queen. Life eventually became boring and the couple each had their own pursuits, so they slowly but surely grew apart. The highlight was that during a trip abroad of Katya, the prince took a 15-year-old niece, Chevalit, as a mistress (mia noi). He confessed his love for Chevalit to Katya and she forced him to make a choice. This eventually led to the divorce of the Thai-Russian couple. The couple divorced in 1919, with Prince Chakrabongse effectively signing his own death warrant, more on that later.

Her life after Siam

Katya was awarded an annual payment of 1200 pounds upon divorce, she was to leave Siam, but had to leave her son behind. If the revolution had not taken place in Russia, she would certainly have returned to her own country, but that would have been suicide under the circumstances. She joined her brother in Shanghai, who was director of the Chinese Eastern Railways there.

Katya found herself in a city full of refugees, some of whom were in a deplorable state of poverty. She soon joined the “Russian Benevolent Society,” where she proved to be an excellent organizer, with practical nursing experience. She was welcomed with open arms and soon her days were filled with welfare and committee work.

The Death of Prince Chakrabongse

Katya returned to Bangkok one more time in 1920 for Prince Chakrabongse's funeral. The prince died at the age of 37 under still mysterious circumstances. Officially he died from the effects of a neglected flu during a boat trip with his Chevalit to Singapore, but evil tongues claimed that he was poisoned by the French because he had turned against the French expansion of Laos and Cambodia.

Prince Chula

During her stay in Bangkok, Katya realized how much she suffered from the problems she had faced in Siam. She had had to leave her then 12-year-old son in Siam and was not allowed to meet him now.

Prince Chula was sent to England after his father's death to receive an education. He would later become known as a professional racing driver. Despite everything, he and his Russian mother kept a warm bond and love for each other. Katya has explained to him in letters which forces in Siam made it impossible for them to be together. Katya wrote about Chula's father with great love and respect.

The further life of Katya

Katya returned to China after the funeral and was supposed to marry an American engineer in Beijing. They moved to Paris, where Katya again met many Russian emigrants and people she knew from her time in Saint Petersburg.

At the outbreak of World War II, she moved to Portland, Oregon with her husband. She died at the age of 72 in 1960 and was buried in a cemetery in Paris.

Source: Article on the website “Russia behind the headlines” (RBTH), which is based on the book “Katya and the Prince of Siam” by Narisa Chakrabongse (granddaughter of the prince and Eileen Hunter