Tuptim is a servant working at King Mongkut's palace.
She is kind, gentle and friendly, but unhappy with her lot in life.
Prince Chulangkorn notices her distress and comforts her, which blooms into a romance between the two. However, this angers Mongkut, since relationships between royals and servants are forbidden. He sentences Tuptim to death by lashes, but after the first strike of the whip, he realizes the grave mistake he is making and spares Tuptim's life. After Kralahome is defeated and arrested, Tuptim marries Chulangkorn, officially becoming part of the royal family.