Krom Phra Ratchawang Bowon Wichaichan ( th, กรมพระราชวังบวรวิไชยชาญ) or Phra Ong Chao Yodyingyot (or Yingyot) (พระองค์เจ้ายอดยิ่งยศ) (6 April 1838 – 28 August 1885) was a Siamese Prince and member of the

Chakri Dynasty The Chakri dynasty ( th, ราชวงศ์ จักรี, , , ) is the current 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 ...

. He was the eldest son of Viceroy

Pinklao Pinklao ( th, ปิ่นเกล้า) (September 4, 1808 – January 7, 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 Chutaman ...

and Princess Aim, and thus nephew to King

Mongkut Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibod ...

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

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

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

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร� ...

(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 The Front Palace Crisis or the Front Palace incident ( th, วิกฤตการณ์วังหน้า) (Wang Na crisis) was a political crisis that took place in the Kingdom of Siam from 28 December 1874 to 24 February 1875 (93 of the Ra ...

. 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 is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

.Kesboonchoo Mead P.95

Early life

Phra Ong Chao Yodying Prayurayot 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: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

. 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

(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 an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

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

Si Suriyawongse Somdet Chaophraya Borom Maha Sri Suriwongse ( th, สมเด็จเจ้าพระยาบรมมหาศรีสุริยวงศ์, , ; also spelled ''Suriyawong'', etc.; 23 December 1808 – 19 January 1883), whose personal ...

(Chuang Bunnag) the Kalahom (one of the Prime Ministers of Siam) tried to persuade the King to appoint Prince Yodyingyot to succeed King Pinklao. Si Suriyawongse was a member of the powerful

Bunnag family The House of Bunnag ( th, บุนนาค; ) was a powerful Siamese noble family of Mon-Persian descent influential during the late Ayutthaya kingdom and early Rattanakosin period. Originally of Persian Islamic descent, they converted en masse ...

, which had dominated the running of the Siamese government since the reign of King Buddha Loetla Nabhalai (Rama II). The King refused to appoint Yodyingyot, instead he elevated the Prince to ''

Krom Krom may refer to: *''Krom'' ( ), one of the Administrative divisions of Cambodia *''Krom'' (), a Thai-language term which may refer to: **''Krom'', each of the Thai government ministries under the historical ''chatusadom'' system **''Krom'', a form ...

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 Consul-General to Siam:

Thomas George Knox Sir Thomas George Knox, KCMG (1824–1887) was an Irish soldier and a diplomat, serving as consul-general in Siam from 1868 to 1879. Life He was the eldest surviving son of James Spencer Knox, D.D. (1789–1862), rector of Maghera, County London ...

, 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 the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six month ...

in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, 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 Si Suriyawongse who was also appointed

Regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

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. The nomination of Wichaichan however was supported by Si Suriyawongse who wanted to secure a line of succession by appointing an able and experienced Front Palace (as the second-in-line to the throne). Si Suriyawongse was determined, he retorted by accusing the Prince of wanting to be appointed himself ("ที่ไม่ยอมนั้น อยากจะเป็นเองหรือ"). The Prince replied wearily ''"If you have ask me to permit it

he appointment He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...

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 French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

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 (whose monarch is referred to as the king of Thailand; th, พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, or historically, king of Siam; th, พระมหากษัตริย์สยาม) refers to the c ...

at the

Grand Palace The Grand Palace ( th, พระบรมมหาราชวัง, 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 Ban ...

. 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 the 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 British

Consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic 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 coun ...

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 estima ...

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 Suriyawongse 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 The governor of the Straits Settlements was appointed by the British East India Company until 1867, when the Straits Settlements became a Crown colony. Thereafter the governor was appointed by the Colonial Office. The position existed from 1826 ...

. 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, he 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 Kamananakapu Mahinulani Naloiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua; November 16, 1836 – January 20, 1891), sometimes called The Merrie Monarch, was the last king and penultimate monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Kin ...

of the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...

, 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 ( th, ศรีสวรินทิรา; , 10 September 1862 – 17 December 1955), also known as Savang Vadhana ( th, สว่างวัฒนา; ), was a consort and half-sister of Chulalongkorn (Rama V), but she was no ...

was made

Maha Vajirunhis Maha and MAHA may refer to: * Maha (name), an Arabic feminine given name * ''Maha'' (film), a Tamil thriller film * MaHa, Nepali comedy duo, Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya * Maha Music Festival, an annual music festival held on th ...

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

Petracha Phetracha (alternative spellings: ''Bedraja'', ''P'etraja'', ''Petraja'', ''Petratcha''; also called ''Phra Phetracha''; th, เพทราชา, ; 1632– 5 February 1703) was a king of the Ayutthaya kingdom in Thailand, usurping the throne fr ...

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 (locally ...

was thus abolished and replaced with an

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

, 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 the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...

. 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 Prince Bhisadej Rajani ( th, ภีศเดช รัชนี; ; complete title: His Serene Highness Prince (Mom Chao) Bhisadej Rajani; 20 January 1922 – 23 July 2022) was a prince of Thailand, a member of the Thai royal family, and a membe ...

, the President of the Royal Projects of King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

(Rama IX), a grandson of

King Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร� ...

Royal Titles and Decorations

Titles

* 1838: ''His Serene Highness'' Prince George Washington * 1838−1867: ''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 * Knight of The Ancient and Auspicious

Order of the Nine Gems The Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นโบราณมงคลนพรัตนราชวราภรณ์; ) was established in 1851 by ...

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

Order of Chula Chom Klao The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์จุลจอมเกล้า; ) was established on 16 November 1873 by King Chulalongkorn, Rama V of The Thailand, Kingdom of ...

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