Courtesy of Chaoduangduen.com
CHIANG MAI, Thailand—The funeral of Chao Duang Duen Na Chiang Mai, the last princess of the now dissolved Lanna Kingdom of Northern Thailand, was just as grandiose as the extraordinary life she led.
“It’s a funeral?” one onlooking traveler asks, “why are they wearing white?” Lanna don’t wear black and Saturday was the last day of a week-long, Lanna last rites ceremony. The Abbot had blessed the coffin, now nestled in a small mobile “castle” ready to be led in procession by alms bearers, an elephant, hundreds of Fon Lep nail dancers, tangerine monks and family of the deceased.
Chao Duang Duen died aged 93 on Jan. 2, at her home in Chiang Mai, the capital city of the lands of her forefathers. Established in 1292 AD, the Lan Na kings ruled a wide, mountainous region of what is now Northern Thailand for 500 years—before being annexed by Siam, the expanding dominion to the south. Distinguished by their own language, arts, culture, animistic beliefs and Buddhist traditions, Lanna lands became tributary states, their kingdom split into smaller principalities. That rolled along until 1939 when Duang Duen’s grandfather, King Kaew Nawarat died, and the Lanna royalty was completely abolished by Siam. Duang Duen was only ten years old.