Katya & the Prince of Siam
is the story of a daring love affair and marriage between a beautiful
young Russian girl from Kiev and a Siamese prince, Prince Chakrabongse,
one of King Chulalongkorn's favorite sons.


It tells of their
meeting in St. Petersburg in 1904 where the prince had an honorary
commission in the Hussars as a protoge of the Tsar, of their elopement
to marry in Constantinople and their journey and arrival in Siam. At
first an outcast in Thai society, Ekaterina Ivanovna Desnitsky, or Mom
Katerin as she became known, gradually gained love and respect. In 1908,
they had a son, Prince Chula and for the next 10 years enjoyed a happy
life in Bangkok society as well as making various trips abroad and
throughout Siam.


Making use of much hitherto unpublished archive
material such as letters, diaries and photographs, the book gives a
fascinating insight into life in both pre-revolutionary Russia and the
Siamese court.


Text in Thai.