BANGKOK — In a rare public display of palace intrigue in Thailand, relatives of a prominent member of the royal family have been charged with numerous counts of corruption and stripped of their royally bestowed name.

The implications of the still-unfolding palace purge are not yet fully clear but come at a time of extreme sensitivity surrounding the monarchy, a potent symbol of national unity in a country that has been deeply divided politically for the past decade. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 86, is ailing, and the current scandal adds to a widespread sense of anxiety about succession.

The family members targeted in the purge are related to Princess Srirasm, the wife of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and the mother of Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, the presumed heir to the throne after his father.

The scandal began to unfold last week when a group of police officers who have links to the princess’s family were arrested. The group, which the police say was led by Lt. Gen. Pongpat Chayapan, the powerful former head of the criminal investigation unit, was accused of running illegal casinos, oil smuggling, money laundering and other crimes.