Front Palace Crisis

The progressive reforms of King Chulalongkorn aroused the ire of Prince Vichaichan and the nobility, who saw their power and influence being slowly eroded.

A fire in the Grand Palace led to an open confrontation between the two factions, prompting Vichaichan to flee to the British Consulate.

The stalemate was finally resolved with the presence of Sir Andrew Clarke, the Governor of the Straits Settlements, who supported the king over his cousin.

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.

[1][3][4] In August 1868 King Mongkut contracted malaria whilst on an expedition to see a solar eclipse in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, dying six weeks later 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.

[1] The nomination of Vichaichan however was supported by the powerful Regent Chao Phraya Si Suriyawongse (Chuang Bunnag) who wanted to secure a line of succession by appointing an able and experienced Front Palace (as the first-in-line to the throne).

[7] As a result, Prince Vichaichan, at the age of 30, was appointed Front Palace (Krom Phra Rajawang Bovorn Sathan Mongkol) and Second King without the full consent of the incoming monarch.

On 20 September 1873 King Chulalongkorn formally reached his majority at the age of 20, resulting in the dissolution of the regency of Si Suriyawongse.

Unfortunately, Chulalongkorn and his brothers (the Young Siam group) were at the same time trying to consolidate his own authority and return to the Grand Palace the power it had lost since the death of his father.

[10] Spurred on by their Western education, Young Siam was intent on creating a centralized and strong nation under an absolute monarch.

At the same time, however, it deprived the control of nobility (as landowners) over tax farms, which for generations had constituted a large part of their income.

After Mongkut's death, Knox greatly preferred the mature and experienced Vichaichan — who was also the son of one of the most westernized member of the elite to ascend the throne — over the young, unknown and radical Chulalongkorn.

[8][14] Once the confrontation began, Chulalongkorn and his ministers agreed immediately that the only person with enough clout to settle the crisis was the ex-regent Si Suriyawongse, who was in Ratchaburi province west of Bangkok.

[14] Si Suriyawongse took immediate action, seeing an opportunity to redress the balance of power between the king and Vichaichan and perhaps increase his own influences.

The Royal Navy steam frigate HMS Charybdis was immediately despatched from Singapore to the Chao Phraya river for this purpose.

Vichaichan was immediately condemned by a council of high officials (convened by Si Suriyawongse), a resolution was written accusing the Prince of seeking foreign intervention in an internal dispute at the expense of national sovereignty and royal authority.

[18] As 'guarantors' the two prolific colonialists (the British to the west and the French to the east) would see it as their right to intervene in future Siamese domestic affairs.

[18][19] After the crisis reached stalemate, Si Suriyawongse advised the consulate to seek assistance by inviting an influential person to intervene.

[15] The Colonial Secretary Lord Carnarvon quickly directed Clarke to go to Bangkok as soon as possible, for as Newman reported:"There is little likelihood of a settlement being effected, and trade and commerce are in a great measure stopped".

[19] When Clarke arrived in Bangkok on 18 February on HMS Valiant (commanded by Admiral Alfred Ryder), Newman came on board to report that there has been no change in the situation.

After dining with Si Suriyawongse on board the Valiant, the Governor gave the 70-year-old ex-Regent a lecture on sowing dissension in the royal family and "the duty of thinking of his country before everything".

I am glad to agree that my cousin shall return to his palace quietly in the early morning, and come to me at eleven o'clock, when, as I must meet the wishes of my own people, I think it better that only Siamese should be present at our reconciliation, Your faithful friend, Chulalonkorn Rex"[25] After spending a day and a night as guests of the king at the Grand Palace, Clarke and his company returned to Singapore.

The king also pledged to guarantee and take responsibility for Vichaichan's financial rights and interests once he had: "placed the Finances of Our Kingdom on a more secure and firmer basis, so as to [...] prevent the waste of our resources.

The ignominious ending of the dependent relationship between the king and his nobles meant that from then on all ministers of state, high-ranking military and government officials were drawn not from the nobility but almost exclusively from the House of Chakri (primarily of Chulalongkorn's own brothers), a situation that was not rectified until 1932.

Writing to Clarke a year later that he had decided: "to defer the prosecution of further plans of reform until I shall find some demand for them among the leaders of my people.

[26] After his death the office of Front Palace was left vacant until 14 January 1886, when Chulalongkorn's son with Princess Consort Savang Vadhana was made Crown Prince Maha Vajirunhis or Somdet Phra Boromma-orasathirat Sayam Makutrajakuman.