His Majesty the King Bestows New Title on King Rama IV (21/10/2019)

His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua has bestowed upon King Mongkut (Rama IV, or Phrachomklao) the title of \"Maha Raja or \"Great King.

The event to bestow the new title took place on 18 October 2019, when Their Majesties the King and Queen, accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati, performed a merit-making ceremony to mark the birthday anniversary of King Rama IV at Amarindra Vinicchaya Throne Hall in the Grand Palace.

After His Majesty the King presented commemorative prayer fans to His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch and other senior monks, who chanted blessings, a royal command was read by an official bestowing the title of King Mongkut the Great upon King Mongkut, or Rama IV.

Then His Majesty the King placed the Royal Golden Plaque of King Mongkut the Greats official title in front of the Royal Reliquary Urn of King Mongkut the Great.

King Mongkut made great contributions to Siam, presently Thailand. He was the first Chakri king to embark seriously on reforms based on Western models. He learned Latin and English, and his intellectual interests were wide-ranging. He also studied the Buddhist Pali scriptures, as well as Western astronomy, mathematics, science, geography, and culture. His wide knowledge of the West helped him to deal with Britain, France, and other powers when he reigned as King of Siam (1851- 1868).

The reign of King Mongkut saw road-building, canal-digging, ship-building, and a reorganization of the Thai armed forces in administration, as well as the minting of coins to meet the demand for currency in a growing monetary economy.

2/10/2021 Page 1 กรมประชาสัมพันธ์