THAILAND’S King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been officially crowned in an elaborate centuries-old royal tradition last seen seven decades ago.
The coronation represents a renewal of the monarchy’s power after the October 2016 death of Vajiralongkorn’s revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It also comes amid more than a decade of political strife, including a 2014 military coup and a contentious election less than two months ago.
The 66-year-old Vajiralongkorn served as king for more than two years since he assumed the throne.
Yesterday, he took the crown from the chief Brahmin, a Hindu priest who has played a guiding part in the mixed Buddhist-Hindu ceremony.
The 200-year-old, 16lb heavy crown was handed to the king, known as Rama X, as part of the third and final rite of the coronation ceremony.
Earlier, the king wore a simple white robe as he entered a small pavilion where he was briefly showered with water from holy rivers and ponds and other sources.
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