Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn pours sacred water on the head of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to grand new title and royal medals to her in Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand on May 5, 2019. Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Sunday granted new titles to the members of the royal family after he was crowned in the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall of the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Saturday. (Xinhua/Bureau of the Royal Household)
BANGKOK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Sunday granted new titles to the members of the royal family after he was crowned in the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall of the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Saturday.
The King and his wife Queen Suthida arrived at the Amarindra Vinijaya Throne Hall in the Grand Palace to attend the ceremony on Sunday morning.
Sunday's ceremony is part of a three-day coronation ceremony held from Saturday to Monday.
The King firstly named his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, as "Maha Raja," or "Great King," and named his mother Sirikit, the Queen Mother, who didn't attend the ceremony.
The King bestowed new titles to his two sisters, Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Chulabhorn Walailak, his two daughters Bajrakitiyabha, Sirivannavari Nariratana and his son Dipangkorn Rasmijoti.
He also granted new titles to his former wife Soamsawali, their daughter Princess Bajrakitiyabha and the two daughters of his sister Chulabhorn Walailak.
During the ceremony, the King poured sacred water on the heads of every attending member of the royal family, who knelt in front of him, and gave them auspicious bael leaves tucked behind their right ears.
According to Thai TV, bael trifoliate leaves stand for the triple deities of Brahmanism, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
The King also bestowed royal medals to his family.
The new granted titles reflect the royal family's relationship with the current King as their former titles signify their relationship with late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
King's sister Princess Sirindhorn was bestowed the highest of royal ranks by appointment--- Krom Somdej Phra, and the first verse of her new title includes the Sanskrit phrase "Kanistha Adhiraja," which respectively means "king's younger sister" and "paramount lord".
The new titles of every royal family member were later published on the Royal Gazette.
The King is scheduled to show up on the balcony of the Sutthai Sawan Prasart Throne Hall on Monday to greet the people and receive best wishes from them. He will also grant an audience with diplomats attached to Thailand at the Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall in the Grand Palace.
The King ascended to the Thai throne late 2016 after his father passed away in October 2016. According to Thai tradition, coronation ceremonies have to be held for every new king to complete the ascension to the throne.
