Did you know?

That in 1880, SUNANDHA KUMARIRATANA, the queen of Thailand drowned to death while her servants watched since they were forbidden to touch her. Touching the Queen was punishable by death.

Let me give you guys a lil back story
(it's a short thread)

At the time of her death, Sunandha Kumariratana already had one daughter and was expecting another child.

In May 1880, when Sunandha was just 19 years old, she was on a trip to the royal family’s bountiful Bang Pa-In summer residence, outside of Bangkok.

She was accompanied by her daughter Princess Karnabhorn Bejraratana, not even two years old, and a group of guards and servants.

But to reach the palace, they had to cross the Chao Phraya River, Thailand's biggest river. The queen consort and the princess were escorted to a...

separate boat which was dragged by a bigger boat to carry them across the river.

However, the royal vessel capsized in strong currents and both were plunged into the water. None of the royal entourage proceeded to help them.

Supposedly everyone followed the lead of the main guard, who did not assist them or urge anyone else to help the drowning royals–all three lives were lost while their attendants just stood and watched.

The guards, and everyone else on the scene, were adhering to an old..

and rigid Siamese law that did not allow any ordinary person to touch a member of the royal family. Breaking this law was punishable with death.

Besides the law, any desire to help save the life of the queen could have been diminished by a superstitious belief as well.

Allegedly, saving a person who was drowning in the river was associated with misfortune. If someone offered help to the person that meant meddling with the spirits who lived in the water.

After this incident, where three lives could have been easily spared with a little help, King Chulalongkorn proceeded to imprison the attendant who did not give any orders to attempt a rescue.

This is actually one of such deaths, there is an entire catalog of almost unbelievable deaths of royal people.