Katya & The Prince of Siam

Queen Saowabha, a connoisseur of cars since the early days of motoring and a regular subscriber to the Autocar, was also awaiting delivery of 26 assorted motors, which she proposed to distribute among favoured members of her family as mementoes of her son’s accession. At the same time, the Bangkok Times of 3rd November 1911 announced: ‘Mr Carl Fabergé has the honour to announce that during Coronation Week, he will hold an exhibition of his famous objets d’art from 2-4 p.m. at the Oriental Hotel.’ The visit of the great Russian craftsman and jeweller had been arranged by Chakrabongse, an admirer of his work since the first days of his ardent love for Katya, when Fabergé had designed an enchanting blue enamel handbag initialled K.D. as his first gift to her. The Bangkok exhibition proved an immense success and was to be the beginning of a long-lasting connection with the Siamese Royal Family. A miniature model of the mighty Emerald Buddha carved in jade was given to the newly-crowned King by Chakrabongse, and over the years, exquisite jewellery and elegant and costly trifles flowed into the royal palaces from the same source.

On 28th and 29th November, the Royal representatives with their extensive suites arrived by State Barge on Chulalongkorn’s yacht ‘Maha Chakri’, to be officially welcomed and conveyed in state carriages with cavalry escort to an immediate audience with the King and the Queen Mother, before dining with their royal hosts that same evening. On such an occasion, waiting at table was in the hands of the royal pages wearing blue tailcoats and cream-coloured knee-breeches, and the complete service of gold plate consisting of at least one thousand pieces, brought back by Chulalongkorn from Europe, would be used.

Protocol, seating of guests, choice of menus and wines, was given painstaking care and thought by one or two of the many Siamese princes who had been educated in Europe. In fact one of them would often remain in the kitchen quarters during a dinner or banquet to ensure that all was served in the right order, particularly the wines.

Religious ceremonies, luncheons, dinners, banquets, illuminations and fireworks followed each other in rapid succession. No guests however were expected to be present on the morning of 30th November when, according to the Bangkok Times: ‘His Majesty gave a feast and distributed robes to the eighty High Priests of the Kingdom at Amarindra Hall’. However, on 1st December – the day before the Coronation – there was a luncheon and, in the afternoon at the Emerald Buddha Temple, consecration of the holy water for the Coronation, when Royal representatives were expected to attend in full dress.

The splendid ritual of the King’s crowning was duly celebrated, culminating in the presentation to the King, dressed in robes of silk and gold brocade, of the Regalia: swords, gold slippers, a gold water-vessel and spittoon, and finally the high tapering diamond-studded crown, which the King placed on his own head as monks chanted a blessing and the artillery fired a royal salute.

Little Chula, aged three, permitted by the monarch to wear the full dress uniform of a subaltern in the First Foot guards, attended some of the festivities that followed by the side of his grandmother. Much photographed in this martial outfit, one picture shows the tiny officer, overcome by fatigue, asleep in a chair during the review of troops.

 

 

Prince Chula aged three (bottom left) at the coronation parade of King Rama VI.

 

 

 

Foreign royal guests attending the coronation of King Vajiravudh. Front row (left to right):- HSH Prince Alexander of Teck, HIH Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovitch of Russia, HI and RH Princess Marie of Sweden, Duchess of Södermanland (formerly HIH Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna of Russia), HRH Princess Alexander of Teck (later HRH Princess Alice, Countes of Athlone), HRH Prince Waldemar of Denmark and HRH Prince William of Sweden, Duke of Södermanland. Back row (left to right):- HRH Prince Axel of Denmark, HRIH Prince Fushimi-no-Miya of Japan, HRH Prince Aage and HRH Prince Erik of Denmark.