King Sisavangvong ( lo, ພຣະບາທສົມເດັຈພຣະເຈົ້າມະຫາຊີວິຕສີສວ່າງວົງສ໌, 14 July 1885 – 29 October 1959) Born Prince Khao , was one of the last kings of Luang Prabang ruling from 28th of April 1904 until his death on the 29th of October 1959. According to Lao customs, while being crowned khao would be given a Courtesy name Sisavangvong and be addressed by his courtesy name until his death.

Early life

Prince Khao was born in the Golden Palace (during his father's reign) on 14th July, 1885, as the eldest surviving son of His Majesty King Zakarinth and second wife Her majesty Queen consort Thong-sy. However, in boyhood Khao was sent to study at Lycée Chasseloup-Laubat, Saigon and l'École Coloniale, where he would return to ascend the throne.

Ascension

Prince Khao was named heir apparent on 15th of April 1904, upon his father's death on the 26^th of March 1904, Khao was to ascend the throne at the Old Royal Palace, in Luang Prabang. In which the young Prince Khao was crowned on the 4th of March 1905, as His Majesty King Sisavangvong.

Early Reign

During the early years of his reign, the French built a modern palace for his residence, the Royal Palace of Luang Prabang. Under his kingdom he had united provinces

Houaphan Houaphanh province ( Laotian: ຫົວພັນ ; Romanization of Lao: ''Houaphan'') is a province in eastern Laos. Its capital is Xam Neua. Houaphanh province covers an area of . The province is bordered by Vietnam to the north, east, and ...

, 1931; Houakhong; Xiengkhouang and

Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...

, 1942; Champassak and Sayboury, 1946. He was a lifelong supporter of French rule in Laos. In 1945 he refused to cooperate with Lao nationalists and was deposed when the

Lao Issara The Lao Issara ( lo, ລາວອິດສະລະ ) was an anti-French, nationalist movement formed on 12 October 1945 by Prince Phetsarath. This short-lived movement emerged after the Japanese defeat in World War II and became the government ...

declared the country independent. In April 1946, the French took over once again and he was reinstated as king (the first time in almost 250 years that a Lao monarch actually ruled all of what is today called Laos). Sisavangvong statue

Upon Sisavang Vong's death in 1959, he had ruled Luang Prabang and Laos for 55 years. At the time of his death, he was the longest-reigning monarch in the history of modern Laos. When he became ill, he made his son Crown Prince

Savang Vatthana Sisavang Vatthana ( lo, ພຣະບາທສົມເດັຈພຣະເຈົ້າມະຫາຊີວິຕສີສວ່າງວັດທະນາ) or sometimes Savang Vatthana (full title: Samdach Brhat Chao Mavattaha Sri Vitha Lan X ...

regent. His son succeeded him on his death in 1959.KING OF LAOS DIES IN PALACE' AT 74; Ruler in Southeast Asi, Since 1905... - Free Preview - The New York Times
/ref> He was cremated and buried in Vat That Luang (Luang Prabang) in 1961, and during his funeral procession was transported by the royal funeral carriage, a 12-metre-high wooden hearse with a carved seven-headed serpent. Many representatives were at the state funeral including Prince

Bhanubandhu Yugala Prince Bhanubandhu Yugala ( th, พระเจ้าวรวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าภาณุพันธุ์ยุคล; , born 27 November 1910 in Songkhla Province, Thailand, died 5 February 1995 in Bangko ...

, who represented Thailand. Sisavangvong University was named in his honour, but was abolished in 1975 when the communists took power in Laos. Because he presided over independence from the

French Union The French Union () was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial empire system, colloquially known as the " French Empire" (). It was the formal end of the "indigenous" () status of French subj ...

, statues of him survived the communist revolution and remain in Luang Prabang and Vientiane. Both statues depict him in the act of bestowing a constitution upon the people.

Family

Sisavang Vong has been described as the "playboy king". He had 10 wives and 50 children, 14 of which died in a boating accident on the Mekong River. Wives: * Princess Kamuni (1885–1915) * Khamphane (1896–1983), his half sister by his father's wife Mom La; they had no children *Khamla, a commoner * Khamboua, a commoner * Khamtip, a commoner *

Princess Khamtouan Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

of Luang Prabang, his half sister (one son) *

Princess Kamaduni Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

of the Vang Hnaxxs family *

Mom Khamphoui ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of gestati ...

, a commoner *

Princess Indrakama Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

, a daughter of Prince Jayasena, Prince Sri Dibudinha and his wife, Pong * Princess Kamuni, daughter of Prince Ko and Princess Duangbadani * Princess Khamphoui, the daughter of his half-brother *Chansy (1900–1984), a commoner

Honours

*Grand Cross of the

Royal Order of Cambodia The Royal Order of Cambodia ( km, គ្រឿងឥស្សរិយយសព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា; french: Ordre royal du Cambodge) was a colonial order of chivalry of French Cambodia, and is still in use ...

– 1905 *Grand Cross of the

Order of the Dragon of Annam The Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam (, , ; french: Ordre impérial du Dragon d'Annam, Ordre du Dragon Vert) was created in 1886 in the city of Huế, by Emperor Đồng Khánh of the Imperial House of Annam, upon the "recommendation" of th ...

– 1905 *Decoration of the Golden Gong, 1st Class of Annam *Grand Cross of the

Legion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

– 1927 (Commander – 1905) *Grand Officer of the Order of the Black Star of Benin of France – 1935 *Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Belgium – 1935 *Officer of the

Order of Arts and Letters The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

of France – 1949 * Croix de Guerre with Palm of France – 1949 *Knight of the

Order of the Royal House of Chakri The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri ( th, เครื่องขัตติยราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันมีเกียรติคุณรุ่งเรืองยิ่งมหาจัก� ...

of Thailand – 1955 *Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit of Vietnam – 1955

References