Queen Sri Bajarindra of Siam was married to the legendary King Chulalongkor, who was credited for successfully modernising Siam (now Thailand) during a time when his kingdom was under the threat of Western expansion. The Queen was responsible for establishing the first girls’ school in Siam and she was the first female Regent of Siam, when her husband when on a tour of Europe in 1897. They both visited Singapore in 1871 and 1890, and this portrait was probably taken during one of those visits.
