THE CORONATION OF HIS MAJESTY KING 
MAHA-VAJIRAVUDH OF SIAM 
By Colonel Lea Febiger, U. S. Army 
LAST December I had the pleasure 
of visiting Bangkok, the capital of 
jI Siam, as the military representative 
of the United States at the coronation 
of His Majesty King Maha-Vajiravudh. 
From nearly every nation of Europe 
there were special representatives. Mem- 
bers of the royal families of England, 
Denmark, Sweden, and Japan headed 
the legations from those countries. Our 
own Minister and those of several other 
countries were created ambassadors ex- 
traordinary for the occasion. 
The actual coronation occurred Satur- 
day, December 2, but was preceded the 
day before by a most interesting and 
gorgeous function at the Wat Phra Keo, 
the holy Buddhist temple within the 
palace grounds (see illustrations, pages 
396 and 397). All woodwork inside and 
out of this temple was covered with gold 
leaf, and the walls were a glittering mass 
of colored bits of glass set in the stucco 
in designs. This ceremony was the bless- 
ing of the holy water to be used for the 
coronation, and was attended by all the 
court and diplomatic corps in full regalia. 
The inside of the temple was so filled 
with priests that only members of the 
royal families, native and foreign, and 
heads of legations could be accommo- 
dated within, so the suites had seats on 
the entrance portico. They made a most 
resplendent aggregation of foreign uni- 
forms and rich native costumes, those of 
certain native princes having over them a 
filmy lace coat heavily embroidered with 
gold. _ 
This was our first view of the King. 
He wore a general officer's uniform, and 
was preceded by a number of lictors, or 
gentlemen in waiting, clad in quaint uni- 
forms of light blue and silver, with a 
head-covering shaped like the ancient 
Tyrian cap. He was followed by a full 
hundred aides-de-camp in various glit- 
tering uniforms, the guards remaining 
outside the portico. 
The coronation t6ok place in the Dusit 
Maha Prasath Hall of the Chakkri Pal- 
ace. This hall is shaped like a Maltese 
cross. The throne was at the intersec- 
tion of the arms, all the foreign and 
native notables being assembled therein. 
A few minutes before 12 o'clock His 
Majesty appeared, conducted by court 
chamberlains, and took his seat upon the 
throne, and at high noon, amid salvos 
of artillery and cheers from the populace 
outside, placed the crown upon his head 
with his own hands, having received it 
from his uncle, the Patriarch of the 
Kingdom. 
After prayers by the Brahmin priests 
present, he received the homage from the 
various classes, each being represented 
by one member — the royal family first, 
then the military, civil officials, and mem- 
bers of the household. He then pro- 
ceeded to the balcony to receive the 
homage of the lesser officials assembled 
without in the courtyard. 
The King was dressed in a red uni- 
form, profusely decorated with orders, 
and covered with cloth-of-gold draperies. 
The filagree golden crown was in the 
shape of a "prachidee," the tapering 
steeple with broad, round base, seen all 
over the land in connection with "wats," 
or temples (see illustrations, pages 394 
and 395).* His Majesty then proceeded 
in state to the Wat Phra Keo, where he 
declared himself defender of the faith 
(Buddhistic) in the presence of the 80 
chief high priests of the Kingdom. The 
priests presented an address and again 
blessed His Majesty. 
This state procession was a most gor- 
geous, oriental, and dramatic pageant, 
well shown in the photographs, except 
that the startling and effective combina- 
tions of colors cannot be reproduced. 
The musicians were grouped by instru- 
*See also illustrations in March, 1912, num- 
ber of The NationaIv Geographic Magazine. 
389 
