Vajiravudh
Prince of Ayutthaya
Vajiravudh (1 January 1881 – 26 November 1925) was the sixth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VI. He reigned from 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts to create and promote Siamese nationalism. His reign was characterized by Siam's movement further towards democracy and minimal participation in World War I. He had keen interests in Siamese history, archaeology, and literature, as well as economics, politics and world affairs, and founded the country's first university, Chulalongkorn University. Vajiravudh was born on 1 January 1881 to Chulalongkorn and one of his four queens and half sister Saovabha Phongsri. In 1888, upon coming of age, Vajiravudh received the title Kromma Khun Debdvaravati (Prince of Ayutthaya). Also in 1888, Vajiravudh began suffering from a severe illness and was brought to Ko Sichang by his father to recover. Prince Vajiravudh was first educated in the royal palace in Thai and English. His full siblings were Bahurada Manimaya, Tribejrutama Dhamrong, Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, Siriraj Kakudhabhand, Asdang Dejavudh, Chudadhuj Dharadilok and Prajadhipok, who succeeded him as King Rama VII. In 1895, his half-brother Crown Prince Vajirunhis died and Vajiravudh was appointed the new Crown Prince of Siam. In 1898, he
continued his education in Britain at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and was commissioned as a captain in the Durham Light Infantry, which he served with for three months of exercises in the south of England upon graduation. He studied law and history at Christ Church, Oxford in 1899, where, coming from a royal household, he was a member of the exclusive Bullingdon Club. However, he suffered from appendicitis, which barred him from graduating in 1901. He visited other European countries while he lived in England, including Belgium where he inspected Blegny fort. He went to Berlin in May 1902 and Copenhagen in September 1902. He attended the 15 May 1902 enthronement ceremonies for King Alfonso XIII of Spain in Madrid. On behalf of his father, King Chulalongkorn, he attended the coronation of King Edward VII on 9 August 1902. Crown Prince Vajiravudh left England in October 1902 and returned to Siam in January 1903, traveling via US and Japan. In 1904, he became a temporary monk in accordance with Siamese tradition. In 1907, his father Chulalongkorn travelled to Europe to seek treatment for his kidney disease, and Chulalongkorn made Vajiravudh Regent of Siam. One of Crown Prince Vajiravudh's accomplishments during this regency was his supervision of the construction of the equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn. Chulalongkorn died on 23 October 1910, and Vajiravudh succeeded his father as king of Siam.
The King's Guard is a ceremonial designation given by the Monarchy of Thailand to the various units within the Royal Thai Armed Forces. The first Royal Guards unit was established by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1859, when he was still the heir. Initially, the Royal Guards were servants with duties such as scaring crows, which led to commoners referring to them as the "Mahat Lek Lai Ka," roughly translated as "Scarecrow Corps". When he succeeded his father in 1868, King Chulalongkorn took his Royal Guard and formed a 24-strong Royal Bodyguard, referred to as the "Thahan Song Lo" (Two-Dozen soldiers"). In 1870, the Royal Guard regiment were given the name the "King's Guard" and their duties included escorting the king while he travelled around the country. About the year 1875 the necessity for surveys in connection with improvements in the city of Bangkok, and for supervision in carrying out these improvements, led to the selection of certain officers of the royal bodyguard for training in this direction. These officers were formed into a special company called "Military Engineers of the Royal Bodyguard," in which Mr. James McCarthy held the rank of captain. A royal decree issued September 3, 1885, separated the surveyors from the royal bodyguard and created the Royal Survey Department.
The Chakri dynasty is the reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand. The head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Rattanakosin era and the city of Bangkok in 1782; following the end of Taksin's reign, when the capital of Siam shifted to Bangkok. The royal house was founded by Rama I, an Ayutthaya military leader of Sino-Mon descent. Prior to his accession to the throne, Rama I held for years the title Chakri, the civil chancellor. In founding the dynasty, the king himself chose "Chakri" as the name for it. The emblem of the house is composed of the discus (Chakra) and the trident (Trishula), the celestial weapons of the gods Vishnu and Shiva, of whom the Thai sovereign is seen as an incarnation.
Awards: Collar, sash and star of the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri, Insignia and star of the Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems, Stars of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant, the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand and the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao.
