Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

Soulivong Savang ( lo, ເຈົ້າຟ້າຊາຍມົງກຸດຣາຊະກຸມາຣ ສຸລິວົງສ໌ ສະຫວ່າງ; born 8 May 1963), grandson of the last King of Laos

Savang Vatthana Sisavang Vatthana ( lo, ພຣະບາທສົມເດັຈພຣະເຈົ້າມະຫາຊີວິຕສີສວ່າງວັດທະນາ) or sometimes Savang Vatthana (full title: Samdach Brhat Chao Mavattaha Sri Vitha Lan X ...

, is the

pretender A pretender is someone who claims to be the rightful ruler of a country although not recognized as such by the current government. The term is often used to suggest that a claim is not legitimate.Curley Jr., Walter J. P. ''Monarchs-in-Waiting'' ...

to the Lao throne.

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

was a monarchy until 1975, when the communist

Pathet Lao The Pathet Lao ( lo, ປະເທດລາວ, translit=Pa thēt Lāo, translation=Lao Nation), officially the Lao People's Liberation Army, was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The gro ...

seized control of the nation, causing Savang Vatthana to abdicate his throne. Soulivong Savang lives in exile in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

Biography

Soulivong Khantharinh was born on 8 May 1963 at the Royal Palace in

Luang Prabang Luang Phabang, ( Lao: ຫລວງພະບາງ/ ຫຼວງພະບາງ) or ''Louangphabang'' (pronounced ), commonly transliterated into Western languages from the pre-1975 Lao spelling ຫຼວງພຣະບາງ (ຣ = silent r) ...

to Crown Prince

Vong Savang Vong Savang ( lo, ເຈົ້າຟ້າຊາຍມົງກຸດຣາຊະກຸມາຣວົງສະຫວ່າງ; 27 September 1931 – 2 May 1978) was the Crown Prince to throne of the Kingdom of Laos. After the Laotian Civil War in ...

and Crown Princess Mahneelai of the

Kingdom of Laos The Kingdom of Laos was a landlocked country in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula. It was bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, North Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

. After the communist revolution, some members of the royal family were placed in re-education camps where they reportedly died, although Prince

Souphanouvong Prince Souphanouvong (13 July 1909 – 9 January 1995; ), nicknamed the Red Prince, was along with his half-brother Prince Souvanna Phouma and Prince Boun Oum of Champasak, one of the " Three Princes" who represented respectively the communist (p ...

later became President of the newly established republic. Prince Khantharinh escaped from captivity in

with his younger brother Prince

Thayavong Savang Prince Thanyavong Savang ( lo, ເຈົ້າທັນວົງ ສະຫວ່າງ, born 17 April 1964) is a surviving member of the now deposed royal family of the Kingdom of Laos. He was born at the Royal Palace, Luang Prabang, Laos. His f ...

in 1981, arriving in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

as refugees.

Education

Soulivong Savang attended the University of

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label=Auvergnat (dialect), Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population ...

and also obtained a law degree.

Political aspirations

He has been working to restore democracy as well as "social and charitable reforms" to Laos. "The restoration of the monarchy would be up to the Lao people", he said. His uncle Prince

Sauryavong Savang Prince Sauryavong Savang (22 January 1937 – 2 January 2018) was the youngest son of King Savang Vatthana of Laos. In 1965, he married Princess Dalavan and they had four children, Sthira Sauryavong, Dayavant Sauryavong, Balavant Sauryavong, and K ...

was regarded as head of the Laotian royal family and acted as

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

to his nephew.Exiled Laotian Prince Seeks a New Role
13.8.2000 A

Royal Lao Government in Exile The Royal Lao Government in Exile (RLGE) is a Laotian government in exile opposed to the Lao People's Democratic Republic. It purports to seek to institute a constitutional monarchy in Laos that ensures freedom, justice, peace, and prosperity for ...

exists. On 19 September 1997, Soulivong Khantharinh and his Uncle Prince Sauryavong Khantharinh initiated a Royal Lao Conference in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Over five hundred Lao exiles and representatives of the Hmong, Kmu, Mien, Thaidam and all ethnic minority community attended. This conference established the Lao Representative Abroad Council. On 19 September 1999, a second conference was held in Montreal, Canada, to follow up the progress of LRAC work and focus on non-profit organizations to support the local and worldwide community through community development, social services, education and job development, promoting cultural activity. Soulivong capitalized on the rise in royalist sentiment in neighboring Thailand. The Laotian exile community – 100,000 in France, 40,000 in Australia and half a million in the United States – has been fractured ethnically between Lao and Hmong. The crown prince said he tells both groups that a constitutional monarchy is their best hope of unity.

Private life

On 10 November 2007, the Prince married Princess Chansouk Soukthala. The ceremony, which took place in Canada, was attended by 800 guests. The bride, Princess Chansouk, is a daughter of the former military Prosecutor Prince Tanh Soukthala and Princess Bounchanh Soukthala.Over 800 Celebrated the Royal Wedding of HRH Prince Soulivong Savang, Grandson of Laos' Former King.
lao.voanews.com, 15.11.2007

Ancestry

References

External links

Exiled Laos Prince Appeals to US
by ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''
Former Royal Laos Flag & Laos National Anthem
at

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...

Political turmoil comes to one of the most isolated communist ruled countries in Southeast AsiaPress release of the Lao Royal FamilyLAOS: ROYALTY Kingdom Come?
* ttp://lao.football.free.fr/010916/index.htm Laos Royals pay respects to September 11, 2001 Victims(Photos)
Welcoming speech of Crown Prince Soulivong Savang
(French) {{DEFAULTSORT:Savang, Soulivong 1963 births Living people Heirs apparent who never acceded Laotian royalty Pretenders to the Laotian throne Laotian exiles Laotian anti-communists