On Friday, Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya of Thailand concluded a three-day visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, where she presided over a series of engagements focused on Thai national dress and textile traditions.

The program included the opening of the Thailand Gallery at the Royal Thai Embassy, a lecture on the development of Thai traditional dress and textiles, and the inauguration of the exhibition Chud Thai: Knowledge, Craftsmanship and Practices of the Thai National Costume at Hotel Des Indes in Den Haag.

Following these engagements, the Princess, as Patron, is preparing for the forthcoming exhibition, La Mode en Majesté: Royal Thai Dress: From Tradition to Modernity, to be held from May 13th to November 1st, 2026, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, France.

More than 200 garments and related items will be presented, including royal dress, accessories, and textile works associated with the late Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother of Thailand, alongside contemporary interpretations of traditional design. It will also include all eight recognized forms of Chud Thai Phra Ratcha Niyom, the royally endorsed national costume.

The exhibition focuses on the development of Thai court dress over time, with particular attention to the role of the late Queen Sirikit in shaping its modern form. Garments created by the French fashion house, Balmain, for the Queen, with embroidery by Maison Lesage, are included as part of the exhibition material.

In January 2026, in preparation for the exhibition, Princess Sirivannavari visited the archives of the House of Balmain in Paris, where she researched hundreds of couture garments designed and created by Balmain for the late Queen Sirikit. The research supported the curation of the exhibition, which explores the relationship between Thai royal tradition and haute couture, particularly the long-standing collaboration between the late Queen Sirikit and the House of Balmain. 

The exhibition is being presented to mark the 170th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Thailand and the French Republic and aligns with Thailand’s ongoing submission of Chud Thai for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity maintained by UNESCO, with consideration expected in 2026.