page_title: Grand Palace
section_title: Inner Court
hierarchical_section_title: Grand Palace / Inner Court
caption_attribution_description: English: Thai Royal Consorts of the Inner Court of the Grand Palace, Bangkok(from left) Princess Khae Khai Duang, Queen Saovabha Phongsri, Princess Phuang Soi Sa-ang, Princess Pradittha Sari, Queen Savang Vadhana, Queen Sukhumala Marasri and Princess Naphaphon Prapha ไทย: พระรูปหมู่เจ้านายฝ่ายในภายในพระบรมมหาราชวัง (เรียงจากซ้ายแถวหน้า) พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าแขไขดวง, สมเด็จพระศรีพัชรินทราบรมราชินีนาถ พระบรมราชชนนีพันปีหลวง, พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าประดิษฐาสารี, สมเด็จพระศรีสวรินทิราบรมราชเทวี พระพันวัสสาอัยยิกาเจ้า, พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้านภาพรประภา กรมหลวงทิพยรัตนกิริฏกุลินี (เรียงจากซ้ายแถวหลัง) พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าพวงสร้อยสอางค์, สมเด็จพระปิตุจฉาเจ้าสุขุมาลมารศรี พระอัครราชเทวี
context_page_description: The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam since 1782. The king, his court, and his royal government were based on the grounds of the palace until 1925. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, resided at the Chitralada Royal Villa and his successor King Vajiralongkorn at the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall, both in the Dusit Palace, but the Grand Palace is still used for official events. Several royal ceremonies and state functions are held within the walls of the palace every year. The palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand.
  Construction of the palace began on 6 May 1782, at the order of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok, the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, when he moved the capital city from Thonburi to Bangkok. Throughout successive reigns, many new buildings and structures were added, especially during the reign of King Chulalongkorn. By 1925, the king, the Royal Family and the government were no longer permanently settled at the palace, and had moved to other residences.
context_section_description: The Inner Court or the Khet Phra Racha Than Chan Nai (เขตพระราชฐานชั้นใน), referred to simply as Fai Nai (ฝ่ายใน; RTGS: Fai Nai; literally 'The Inside'), occupies the southernmost part of the Grand Palace complex. This area is reserved exclusively for use by the king and his harem of queens and consorts (minor wives). These women were often called 'forbidden women' or Nang harm (นางห้าม; RTGS: nang ham) by the general populace. Other inhabitants of the court were the king's children and a multitude of ladies-in-waiting and servants. The king's royal consorts were drawn from the ranks of the Siamese: royalty and nobility. Usually there were also the daughters of rulers of tributary states. Royal polygamy ended in practice during the reign of King Rama VI, who refused to keep a polygamous household. It was ended officially by King Rama VII in the early 20th century, when he outlawed the practice for all and took only one consort: Queen Rambhai Barni. By this time the inhabitants of the court had dwindled to only a few and finally disappeared within a few decades afterwards. Historically the Inner Court was a town complete within itself, divided by narrow streets and lawns. It had its own shops, government, schools, warehouses, laws and law courts, all exclusively controlled by women for the royal women. Men on special repair work and doctors were admitted only under the watchful eyes of its female guards. The king's sons were permitted to live inside until they reached puberty; after their tonsure ceremonies they were sent outside the palace for further education. There are currently no inhabitants within the Inner Court and the buildings within are not used for any purpose; nevertheless, the entire court is closed to the public.
  The population of the Inner Court varied over different periods, but by all accounts it was large. Each queen consort had her own household of around 200 to 300 women. Her various ladies-in-waiting were usually recruited from noble families; others were minor princesses who would also have a retinue of servants. Each minor wife or consort (เจ้าจอม; Chao Chom) had a fairly large household; this would increase significantly if she gave birth to the king's child, as she would be elevated to the rank of consort mother (เจ้าจอมมารดา; Chao Chom Manda). Each royal lady had a separate establishment, the size of which was in proportion to her rank and status in accordance with palace law. Altogether the population of the Inner Court numbered nearly 3,000 inhabitants.
  The Inner Court was once populated by small low-lying structures surrounded by gardens, lawns and ponds. Over the course of the late 19th century new residential houses were constructed in this space, resulting in  overcrowded conditions. Most of the buildings that remain were constructed during the reign of King Rama V in Western styles, mostly Italianate. The residences vary in size and are divided into three categories; small royal villas or Phra Thamnak (พระตำหนัก; RTGS: phra tamnak), villas or Thamnak (ตำหนัก; RTGS: tamnak) and houses or Ruen (เรือน; RTGS: ruean). Each was distributed to the inhabitants in accordance with their rank and stature. The court is surrounded and separated from the rest of the Grand Palace by a second set of walls within, parallel to those that ring around the palace as a whole. These walls are punctuated by a set of gates that connects the Middle the Inner Courts to the outside and to each other; the entrance through these gates were strictly monitored. The three main building groups in the Middle Court are built so that the residential halls of each are situated to the south and  straddled the boundary between the Middle and Inner Court. Thus these residential spaces of the king became the focal point of palace life and the lives of the palace women on the inside. Immediately behind these residential halls are the large royal villas of high-ranking consorts such as Queen Sukhumala Marasri and Queen Savang Vadhana. Surrounding them are smaller villas belonging to other consorts such as those belonging to Prince
caption: A group photograph of several royal ladies of the Inner Court in the reign of King Rama V.
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