The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-12-01 00:00:00

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SINGULAR SIAMESE CEREMONY IN

LONDON.

. An interesting Siamese ceremony took place in
eendon on Monday morning at 2, Cornwall Mansions,
Jornwall Gardens, S.W. This ceremony consisted of
the investiture of Prince ~ Prisdaeg, the Siamese
Envoy, with a higher prirbsly ranke'evitlo the decora-
tion of the most NobletYanekly Or of Chula Gleam
Klao, anti with the Grand Croesthe Moat Honour-
able Order of the Crown of Siam—Nee his Highness
is absent from Siam, the ceremonial was per.
'eemed beats yal j.st ip, sik 4ia aa-X r o m Mum Naresr
Iraiddis s'' s yal 'Op . e iss::- ~w_:. whom were
jet% Beielsp,a le and '' ' e4;s'e.e. esti "hhon. The
embaseeddrs an Ministers- accredited tci' the Court
of St. James's, and the councillors and secretaries
of the various Embassies and Legations, were amongst
the guests invited. Several, however, were unable
to be present. Earl Granville was also prevented
from attending, and he sent the following letter
of apolegy :—" Dear Prince Prisdang,—l am very
sorry to say that I shall be out of town on Mon-
day next, and unable to be present at the cere-
mony to which yen have been good' enough to invite
me, and which otherwise it would have given me
great pleasure to attsnd. Pray accept my congratu-
lations on your well-deserved honour." The Foreign
Office was reuesented by Lerd E. Eiteenatuice, MX.,
and 'Sir J. Pauncefote. Mr. Gladstone sent by his
secretary, a letter, Whiclk stated—" He feels highly
honoured by your invitation for Monday next, but un-
fortunately, owing to antecedent engagements, he will
not be in London that day, and he will he adcordingly—
much to his regret—precluded from taking advantage
of your kindness. lam to assure you, with his best
cOmpliments and legards, that it would have afforded
him much pleasure, as well as interest, td be present '
at Monday's ceremony." The Earl of Northbrook
wai 'Prevented by ' a -previertee'' engagement in the
country from attending. M. Waddington was
. absent 'from London, but the French, Embassy was
represented I'er the Vicomte de Petiteville, First
Secretary. Count Miineter wrote to express his re-
gret that he should be absent from London for eaveral
days. -
The guests were received by Prince' Prisdang, who
introduced them to the chief of the miesion# His Royal
Highness Krom Mum Naresr Veraiddhl. The drawing-
' room in which the reception took place contained the
' portraits of the late First King of Siam and the present
' First Queen. The three members of the Siamese
Mission, Prince Prisdang, and the guests, then passed
into an adjoining room, where, on a dais in front of the
portrait of the present First King of Siam, a . fauteuil
had been placed as .representing a throne. The room
was decorated with flowers, and with palm trees in
pots. Covering the centre of the Rarquet floor was a
large square of carpet. The Siamese dresses, worn by
those who took an official part in the ceremony (with
the exception of Prince Sonapandit, who wore a staff
uniform), and the various military and official uniforms
of the guests, made a gaily-coloured scene. The chief
of the mission, having the two princes to his right
and left, took their stand on the carpet before-
mentioned, and, after salutation given and re-
ceived, the proceedings began with the reading
of the Royal proclamation in Siamese by the secre-
tary to the Mission, Playa Damrong. This set forth
the services of Prince Prisdang, and the honour
of higher princely rank which his Majesty had
ordered to be conferred upon him, together with three
thousand "nahs " (measures of land) ; and the docu-
ment concluded: "May long life be given him to
enjoy his rank and position; may the truest happiness
and the highest prosperity attend him; and may his
conduct be such as to show that he is worthy to be
ranked with those who have already attained to this
high dignity"' ' Prince Sonapandit then read in
Siamese three Royal warrants authorising the inves-
titures about to take place. In virtue of these war-
rants Prince Prisdang was to be invested with the
rank of Phra Wongs Thoe Phra Ong Chow; with
the second class of the Family Order of Chula Chow
Klan (named after the Kirg, his eldest son
having the right to receive the rank of the third
class) ; and with the' first class or Grand Cross of the
Order of the Crown of Siam. The chief of the Mission,
who wore a white tunic, to the breast of which several
orders were attached, having taken his stand on the
dais in front of the throne, Prince Prisdang, whose
dress was of cloth of gold, knelt before him. The
various insignia relating to the three dignities and
consisting of gold vessels set with jewels arid of
articles of embroidered purple velvet, were then
passed by the Secretaries of the Legation and the
Secretary of the Mission to the Chief of the
Mission, who presented them to Prince Prisdang,
from whom they were passed back to the marble table
whence thy had been taken. Among these insignia
was the gold diploma, or "Phra Salehanabatr," con-
ferring the higher princely rank ; the diploma was a
slip of pure gold, with the Royal order written there-
upon. This, in every sense, valuable document had a
suitable box to contain it. The chief of the Mission
then fastened round the Prince's neck the narrow pink
silk collar of the Family Order, and placed over his
shoulder a sash of blue watered eiik, having a thin red
bonier and a wider outer border of green. He next
attached to the Prince's breast the emblem in gold and
enamels of the Family Order, and the Grand Cross of
the Order of the Crown, and the ceremony was then
concluded. Coming down from the dais, the chief of
the Mission smilingly congratulated Prince Prisdang
upon his new rank and honours, and the Prince then
received the congratulations of a considerable number
of the guests. Before leaving, most of the visitors
inspected the insignia which consisted of vases, a water-
bottle, the diploma and box before referred to, and other
eetjejfts6difficult to describe. They were chiefly of
were for the most part rubies. The insignia, which are
exceller t specimens of goid.mith's and other work,
were made at Batgko'c, hj, 3iamese al ti ts,