
Their ancestors were "royal friends by correspondence" but Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Thailand's His Majesty King Bhumibol the Great developed a face-to-face bond during their lifetimes.
The late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, also known as Rama IX, was the second longest reigning monarch in world history at the time of his death in 2016 at age 88 -- serving on the throne for seven decades and 126 days.