Southampton's links to novel, film and play The King and I

The much-loved musical play and film tells the real-life story of the tempestuous relationship between the King Rama IV of Siam and Anna Leonowens.

She was a British school teacher the King brought to Siam - today called Thailand - in the 1860s to teach his many wives and nine children.

Less well known is that his eldest son who followed him as King Rama V in 1868 visited Southampton in 1897. He had been tutored in Western traditions by Anna Leonowens and sought to modernise the monarchy.

The King’s royal yacht, Maha Chakri, was a 2,500-ton armed cruiser.

The yacht joined the Royal Navy fleet review at Spithead in marking Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in June 1897. 

It came to Southampton for repairs, its crew got in a bit of trouble, and local people came out to cheer the King when he visited the town.

In 1897, King Rama V also known as Chulalongkorn was on an extensive tour of Europe in an attempt to improve relations with the European colonial powers who threatened Siam’s independence. 

On August 4, 1897, the King travelled to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight to visit Queen Victoria.

His royal yacht Maha Chakri came to the Day, Summers and Company shipyard at Northam for repairs.

King Chulalongkorn was familiar with the Southampton shipbuilder’s workmanship as in 1878, they had built another royal yacht for him, named Vestari.

Later, on September 17, 1897, the King attracted a large crowd at Southampton Dock including the Mayor of Southampton, Edward Gayton and local dignitaries. 

At the nearby yard of Summers and Payne, work was also being carried out building a new 36-foot-long royal barge for the King.

Once complete, it was to be loaded onto Maha Chakri.

The King revisited Southampton by train on October 1, 1897.

Men of the Hampshire Regiment 2nd Volunteer Battalion formed a guard of honour outside the Terminus station and the King inspected their ranks.

Maha Chakri was in the docks where it was being painted. After inspecting the ship, the royal convoy made its way to the Royal Pier.

At a reception with around 200 guests, the Mayor of Southampton, Edward Gayton thanked the King for choosing a local firm for the work on his yacht.

Gayton said that Bangkok was a more advanced civilisation in some ways than Southampton as they already had electric trams.

It was 1900 before the first ones arrived in Southampton replacing the horse-drawn trams that had started in 1879.

Mayor Gayton also said the King had told him there should be a permanent bridge that linked Southampton and Woolston.

It was 1977 before the Itchen Bridge was opened replacing the Floating Bridge.

The King and his family took a trip up the then-picturesque High Street that was later severely damaged by Second Word War bombing.

They went through the Bargate and up to the Avenue before returning to the Terminus railway station for the London train.

However, the Maha Chakri crew’s stay here was not without incident.

Some had been buying guns. One was inspecting his new purchase when the gun suddenly fired a bullet into his chest but he survived. 

Also, a young stoker named Bun, appeared at the Southampton Borough Police Court charged with wounding John Webb of Millbank Street. 

The charge was altered to common assault and Bun pleaded guilty, stating through an interpreter that he had only acted in self-defence. The sailor was discharged but received lashes when back onboard the ship.

The Chief Constable said that he had not received a solitary complaint about the sailors during the time the royal yacht had been in the port.

Another link between Thailand and Southampton was Professor Thomas Paterson Noble (1887-1959) who retired here. He was Professor of Surgery at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

Noble became personal physician to the Eton and Sandhurst-educated Prince Prajadhipok who became King Rama VII of Siam in 1925.

Martin Brisland is a tour guide with SeeSouthampton.co.uk .