KING VAJIRAVUDH [ Rama VI ] 1910 - 1925
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Whose reigning title was Phra Mongkut Klao Chaoyuhua,
was second son of King Chulalongkorn. He
was born at Bangkok on January 1, 1881. Following the death of his
elder half-brother, Crown Prince Maha Vajirunhis, in 1895, he
was appointed Crown Prince. He was educated in England and his great
love of literature and poetry in both
Thai and English together with his scholastic abilities was later to
manifest itseft during his reign. Among his lasting achievements
were devising a system of transliteration of Thai into English
and of translating the entire works of Shakespeare into Thai . His
passion for traditional Thai theater and ballet has left a mass of
published scores which form the basis of the study of these arts to the present day. King Vajiravudh's
coronation in Bangkok on December 2, 1911
was an occasion of much splendor. Among those present at the
ceremonies were members of the royal families of Great Britain,
Denmark, Sweden, Russia and
Japan (the largest gathering of European royalty on the Asian
Continent either before or since). The Russian
imperial jewelers, Messrs. Carl Faberge, set up a temporary shop
within the hallowed portals of the Oriental
Hotel to coincide with the festivities. In 1916 King Vajiravudh
declared war on Germany and Thai troops fought
with the Allies during the latter part of World War I. He died in
Bangkok on November 26, 1925 at the early age of 44.
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