Wichaichan () (6 April 1838 – 28 August 1885) was a Siamese prince and member of the

Chakri dynasty The Chakri dynasty is the current reigning dynasty of the Thailand, Kingdom of Thailand. The head of the house is the Monarchy of Thailand, king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Rattanakosin era and ...

. He was the eldest son of Viceroy

Pinklao Pinklao (; 4 September 1808 – 7 January 1866) was the viceroy of Siam. He was the younger brother of Mongkut, King Rama IV, who crowned him as a monarch with equal honor to himself. Early life Prince Chutamani was born on 4 September 1808, as ...

and Princess Aim, and thus nephew to

King Mongkut Mongkut (18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama IV. He reigned from 1851 until his death in 1868. The reign of Mongkut was marked by significant modernization initiatives and diplomat ...

(Rama IV). Wichaichan succeeded his father by being appointed the

Front Palace Krom Phra Ratchawang Bowon Sathan Mongkhon , colloquially known as the Front Palace (, ), was the title of the ''uparaja'' of Siam, variously translated as "viceroy", "vice king" or "Lord/Prince of the Front Palace", as the titleholder resided ...

and ''Viceroy of Siam'' in 1868, during the reign of his cousin King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his death in 1910 was cha ...

(Rama V).Kesboonchoo Mead P.38 During his tenure the office of Front Palace was extremely powerful and rivalled that of the monarch's own. Inevitably the two forces clashed in the Front Palace crisis. Wichaichan was defeated and the power of the Front Palace was greatly diminished. After his death in 1885, the last vestiges of the title were abolished in favour of a

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

.Kesboonchoo Mead P.95 Notably, he is the only Front Palace that was elected by the council, not appointed by the king in accordance with the royal tradition, which is still considered as controversial and unorthodox practice to this day.

Early life

Phra Ong Chao Yodyingyot Bovorn Rachorod Rattana Rachakumarn (พระองค์เจ้ายอดยิ่งประยุรยศบวรราโชรสรัตนราชกุมาร) was born on the 6 April 1838, the eldest son of Prince Chutamani and Princess Aim. It was said that his father gave him an English name in honour of his personal hero, the first

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

. Therefore, he is sometimes referred to as ''Prince George Washington'' or ''Prince George''. In May 1851 Prince Yodyingyot's father was elevated as Second King

or the

by his older brother King

Mongkut Mongkut (18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth Monarchy of Thailand, king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama IV. He reigned from 1851 until his death in 1868. The reign of Mongkut was marked by significant modernization ini ...

(Rama IV). Pinklao also received from his brother all the styles, titles and honour of a monarch, despite never having been crowned himself. During his childhood the Prince received a modern education, including the English language and modern sciences. It was said that he became an extremely skillful engineer. กรมพระราชวังบวรวิไชยชาญ Thai Wikipedia. Retrieved on 2009-12-01 After King Pinklao's death in 1866, King Mongkut decided not to appoint another Front Palace due to the fact that his own son Prince

was only 12 years old. This meant that the position which was also that of the

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir app ...

was left unoccupied (Siam had no law of succession at the time, but the Viceroy was seen as the strongest claimant).Kesboonchoo Mead P.60 Fearing instability, Chao Phraya Sri Suriwongse (Chuang Bunnag) the

Kalahom Chatusadom or Catustambha ( , literally "Four Pillars" from Sanskrit language, Sanskrit ''Catur'' "Four" + ''Stambha'' "Pillars") was the Thai system of central executive governance during the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Thonburi Kingdom and Rattanakosin ...

(one of the Prime Ministers of Siam) tried to persuade the King to appoint Prince Yodyingyot to succeed King Pinklao. Sri Suriwongse was a member of the powerful

Bunnag family The Bunnag Family or House of Bunnag (; ) is a Siamese noble family of Mon people, Mon-Persian people, Persian descent influential during the late Ayutthaya kingdom and early Rattanakosin period. The family was favored by Chakri dynasty, Chakri mo ...

, which had dominated the running of the Siamese government since the reign of King

Phutthaloetla Naphalai Phutthaloetla Naphalai (born Chim; 24 February 1767 or 1768 – 21 July 1824), also known by his regnal name Rama II, was the second King of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, ruling from 1809 to 1824. In 1809, Itsarasunthon succeeded his father ...

(Rama II). The King refused to appoint Yodyingyot, instead he elevated the Prince to ''

Krom KROM (92.9 FM) is a regional Mexican radio station in San Antonio, Texas. It is owned by Univision Radio. Its studios are located in Northwest San Antonio, and the transmitter site is in Elmendorf, Texas. History of 92.9 FM 92.9 FM went on ...

Muen Bowon Wichaichan'' or Prince Bowon Wichaichan in 1867. This meant Wichaichan was only made ''a'' Prince of the Front Palace but not the actual title of Front Palace. Since 1865 the Prince was also the commander of the Front Palace's naval forces. Wichaichan was a great friend of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Consul-General to Siam: Thomas George Knox, he was originally recruited by Pinklao to modernize the Front Palace's armed forces. Knox greatly preferred the mature and experienced Wichaichan — who was also the son of one of the most westernized member of the elite to ascend the throne — over the young Chulalongkorn.Kesboonchoo Mead P.44

Reign

In August 1868 King Mongkut contracted malaria whilst on an expedition to see a

solar eclipse A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs approximately every six months, during the eclipse season i ...

Prachuap Khiri Khan province Prachuap Khiri Khan (, ) is one of the western Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It is in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some south of Bangkok. Neighboring provinces include Phetchaburi province, Phetchabu ...

, six weeks later he died on 1 October. The young Chulalongkorn (who was only 15 years old at the time) was unanimously declared king by a council of high-ranking nobility, princes of the Chakri dynasty and monks. The council was presided by Sri Suriwongse who was also appointed

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

for the young king.Kesboonchoo Mead P.39 During the meeting, when one of the princes nominated Wichaichan as the next Front Palace, many in the council objected. The most notable objection of this nomination came from Prince Vorachak Tharanubhab. The prince argued that the appointment of such an important position was the sole prerogative of the king and not of the council. Furthermore, the position was not hereditary, and the appointment of the son of the former could set a dangerous precedent. However, the nomination of Wichaichan was supported by Sri Suriwongse who wanted to secure a

line of succession An order, line or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated, such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.he appointment then I will have to permit it"'' ("ถ้าจะให้ยอมก็ต้องยอม"). As a result, Prince Wichaichan was appointed

(Krom Phra Rajawang Bovorn Sathan Mongkol) and

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

without the full consent of the incoming monarch. The relationship between Chulalongkorn and the Wichaichan would remain difficult for the rest of the latter's life, based on this fact.Englehart P.95 On 11 November 1868, Wichaichan's cousin Chulalongkorn was crowned ''Supreme''

King of Siam The monarchy of Thailand is the constitutional monarchy, constitutional form of government of Thailand (formerly ''Siam''). The king of Thailand (, historically, ''king of Siam''; ) is the head of state and head of the ruling Chakri dynasty. ...

at the

Grand Palace The Grand Palace (, Royal Institute of Thailand. (2011). ''How to read and how to write.'' (20th Edition). Bangkok: Royal Institute of Thailand. . ) is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. The palace has been the officia ...

. Since the elevation of King Pinklao twenty years earlier, the office of Front Palace had gained considerable amount of power and prestige. The viceroy had his own army of over 2,000 men, western trained and western armed.Bowring P. 429 He also controlled a naval forces of several steam powered gunboats. The prince also had a large share of state revenues, over one-third of which is given directly to him for the maintenance of his officials, retinue, court, concubines, and advisors.Bowring P. 446

Front Palace crisis

When Chulalongkorn came of age in 1873, he and his western-educated brothers were intent on creating a modern absolutist state. Siamese government during previous reigns were dominated by the aristocracy, with many elements of feudalism still in existence. In order to modernize and centralize the state, Chulalongkorn must consolidate the royal government's control over finances and the bureaucracy. First, he created the Auditing Office and then, a year later, the Privy Council of Siam. These two reforms quickly drew the ire of the aristocracy and Wichaichan, whose powers were slowly being eroded.Kesboonchoo Mead P.51 The conflict between Chulalongkorn and Wichaichan over these reforms erupted in open confrontation, after Wichaichan received an anonymous letter threatening his life. On 28 December 1874, a fire erupted in the

. Wichaichan's reluctance to help quell the flames gave Chulalongkorn the excuse he needed to lay siege to the Front Palace.Kesboonchoo Mead P.61 As a result, on the night of 2 January 1875, Wichaichan fled to the

consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a ...

to the south of

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

to seek refuge from the king.Kesboonchoo Mead P.63 Negotiations between the two cousins began, however no clear conclusions were reached. With Wichaichan under the impression that his life was in danger, he refused all reconciliation.Vetch P.134 By February, the crisis has reached stalemate. Si Suriwongse decided to advise the British acting-Consul to invite an influential person to intervene and end the crisis. Invitations were made to Sir Andrew Clarke the Governor of the Straits Settlements. Clarke arrived in Bangkok on 18 February. After some deliberations with various factions, he decided to support the young king over Wichaichan.Vetch P.137Vetch P.138 On the evening of 24 February, Clarke forced the humiliated Wichaichan to accept Chulalongkorn's terms in full.Kesboonchoo Mead P.64 The terms of the settlement stripped Wichaichan of all of his powers. He was able to keep only 200 guards of small weaponry and was also forced to abdicate his title of viceroy. Despite this, he was able to remain Front Palace and keep his residence. Chulalongkorn also promised to take responsibility for his finances and safety. He lived the rest of his life quietly as an educated gentleman, being consigned to his palace. The role and influence of the Front Palace and the nobility was greatly diminished, and Chulalongkorn was able to continue his reforms in peace without opposition.Kesboonchoo Mead P.94 In 1881 Wichaichan met King

Kalākaua Kalākaua (David Laʻamea Kamanakapuʻu Māhinulani Nālaʻiaʻehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua; November 16, 1836 – January 20, 1891), was the last king and penultimate monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, reigning from February 12, 1874, u ...

of the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...

, who made a stop in Siam on his world tour. The king noted that Wichaichan was well educated and spoke English fluently.

Death

Wichaichan died on 28 August 1885 at the age of 47. Prince Bovorn Wichaichan was cremated with great ceremony on the field of Sanam Luang on 14 June 1886. The Front Palace compound itself was partly demolished, parts that remain were given to Wichaichan's consorts, daughters and sisters as residences (sons were excluded). After his death the office of Front Palace was left vacant until On 14 January 1886, when Chulalongkorn's son with Princess Consort

Savang Vadhana Sri Savarindira (; , 10 September 1862 – 17 December 1955), also known as Savang Vadhana (; ). She was a half-sister and queen of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). After her first grandson's accession to power in 1935, she became known as Her Ma ...

was made

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

Maha Vajirunhis or Somdet Phra Boromma-orasathirat Sayam Makutrajakuman. The title of Front Palace, which was first created in 1688 by King Petracha of

Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locall ...

was thus abolished and replaced with an

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

, whose succession is to be based on the principle of

male primogeniture Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit all or most of their parent's estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relat ...

. The new invented title brought Siamese succession in line with the European tradition.

Family

During his lifetime Wichaichan fathered 28 children with various consorts and concubines. With Chao Chom Manda Prik Lek, he had a son, Prince Karnchananophas Rasmi, the Prince of Chanchai Bovornyod, whose descendants use the surname: Kanchanawichai and with Consort Leam: Prince Rajani Chamcharas, the Prince Bidyalongkorn, whose descendants use the surname: Rajani. One of Prince Rajani Chamcharas' descendants is Mom Chao Bhisadej Rajani, the President of the Royal Projects of King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any List of Thai mo ...

(Rama IX), a grandson of

King Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his death in 1910 was cha ...

Royal titles and decorations

Title • 1838-unknown : ''His Serence Highness Prince George Washington'' * Unknown−1867: ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Yodying Prayurayot * 1867−1868: ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Yodying Prayurayot, the Prince Bowon Wichaichan * 1868−1885: ''His Royal Highness'' The Viceroy of Siam

Decorations

Prince Wichaichan received the following honours from the Siamese honour system: * Knight of The Most Illustrious

Order of the Royal House of Chakri The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri (; ) was founded in 1882 by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) of the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) to commemorate the Bangkok Centennial. The order is awarded to members of the House of Chakri ...

* Knight of The Ancient and Auspicious

Order of the Nine Gems The Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems (; ) was established in 1861 by King Mongkut (Rama IV) of the Thailand, Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand). The order is bestowed upon the members of the Chakri Dynasty, Thai royal family and disting ...

* Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of The Most Illustrious

Order of Chula Chom Klao The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao (; ) was established on 16 November 1873 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) to commemorate the 90th Jubilee of the Chakri Dynasty and bears his name (จุลจอมเกล� ...

Ancestry

Notes

References

* * * * Full text also at 'archive.org'
Life of Sir Andrew Clarke
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Wichaichan 19th-century Chakri dynasty Front Palaces Thai male Phra Ong Chao 1838 births 1885 deaths Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Chula Chom Klao Thai male Mom Chao Heirs presumptive