[4] After his father ascended the throne, he received the title of Thado Minhtin and was granted the appanage of Mekkhaya[5] (a town on the western bank of the mouth of the Zawgyi River in Kyaukse District) on 26 August 1853.
[7] On 15 November 1863, King Mindon married his son to the Pin Princess, but the marriage was not consummated;[8] this led to dissatisfaction on her part and a later divorce.
King Mindon praised his actions by saying, "The hti and the throne are yours, my son," leading to widespread expectations that he would be the future crown prince.
[10] This fell through in 1874 when Amyint administrator Maung Gyi attended on him, breaking the king's rule against relationships between the adult princes and government employees.
[13][14] The king was informed of the situation within a week; the Prince of Mekkhaya was then released and appointed Viceroy to Taungdwingyi Province, but he was arrested again on the following day.