BOY KING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22568, 11 May 1935, Page 14

BOY KING

RULER OF SIAM. Seldom in history can there have been a less ostentatious accession to a throne than that of nine-year-old Prince Ananda, who became King of Siam recently (states a writer in the Daily Mail). One morning Prince Ananda, accompanied by his mother, Princess Songkla Mahidol, and his younger brother, Prince Pumipol, took a tramway car to Chalet a Gobet, on the heights behind Lausanne, where they spent several hours in the wonderful sunshine skiing. , They returned to their flat in the afternoon to find that Prince Ananda had become a King. " I had no idea that my son had been proclaimed King until I received a telegram from the Bangkok Assembly on our return from ski-ing," said Princess Mahidol,

"Of course, it is too early yet to make any definite plans, but in all probability my son will stay here for some months at least, on account of his health. Later he may go to The princess said that, as far as she knew, no conditions had been placed by the Siamese Assembly on Prince Ananda's accession, but his grandmother in Bangkok was conducting negotiations with the Government. Nothing final, however, could be decided about the boy's future before the arrival from London of the Siamese delegates who were sent to England to induce the ex-King to return to Siam. "Ananda—or, rather, his Majesty " said the Princess with a smile, "is jast a simple boy like all the others in hia school. He is very fond of reading and of toy soldiers." When it was suggested that for the moment the importance of his new position in life was possibly being kept from him, the Princess said:— "No. Sooner or later he has got to be told, so I have already broken it gently to him. He is only nine years of age,, but he already understands clearly some of the difficulties of the task which lies before him.

" Perhaps you would like to take « peep, at his Majesty," continued the Princess in perfect English. She led the way to a tiny bedroom where the new King and his brother, still in their sports suits, were lying on a bed resting after their exertions. On my appearance in the doorway King Ananda dropped the children'? paper he was reading and greeted me with " Bon soir, M'sieu! " " Congratulations to your Majesty on your accession to the th r orie," I ventured. To which the world's latest and most diminutive ruler sbyly replied, " Merci!"