It was founded in 1904 by Queen Saovabha Phongsri as a replacement for the recently closed Sunanthalai School, which she had previously also sponsored.

The school is situated in Bangkok's Phra Nakhon District, at the southern tip of the historic inner Rattanakosin Island.

In 1892, the government-owned Sunanthalai Girls' School (or Sunandalaya, สุนันทาลัย) was founded under the leadership of Queen Saovabha Phongsri, partly in response to the rise of Christian schools—Wang Lang Girls' School (the precursor of today's Wattana Wittaya Academy) had been established by Presbyterian missionaries in 1874, and enjoyed support from both well-to-do commoners and elite families.

[1] Partly thanks to its direct association with the Queen, the school became popular among aristocratic families, and was also able to raise funds for expansion.

Attributed by some sources to Italian architect Joachim Grassi,[5] the building is designed in the neoclassical style, with a cross-shaped plan, hipped roof, and a large decorative pediment featuring stucco work depicting the royal coat of arms and the name Royal Seminary, by which the building is also known.

The front of the building was originally crowned with a tiered octagonal dome-shaped roof topped with a lantern tower, but this had been removed sometime between 1917 and 1946.

[14][15] Today, the school continues its tradition of emphasizing qualities of the proper "Thai lady" as the values it instils in its students.

[16] It is known for its teaching of traditional handicrafts and skills, and its students often demonstrate crafts such as phuang malai garland making and fruit and vegetable carving at art festivals.