Sisavang Vong
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| King Sisavang Vong | |
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| King of the Kingdom of Laos | |
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| Reign | 28 April 1904 – 20 October 1945 23 April 1946 – 20 October 1959 |
| Born | 14 July 1885 |
| Luang Phrabang, Laos | |
| Died | 29 October 1959 (aged 74) |
| Luang Phrabang, Laos | |
| Predecessor | Zakarine |
| Successor | Savang Vatthana |
| Consort | Princess Kham-Oun I Kham-Phane Kham-La Kham-Bua Kham-tip Princess Kham-Toun of Luang Prabang Princess Kamaduni Kam-phew Princess Indrakama Princess Kamuni Princess Kham-phew Chansy |
| Royal House | Luang Phrabang |
| Father | Zakarine |
| Mother | Thongsy |
Sisavang Vong (or Sisavangvong) (14 July 1885 - 29 October 1959), was King of the Luang Phrabang and later Kingdom of Laos from 28 April 1904 until his death on 20 October 1959 was born at Luang Phrabang, on July 14, 1885.
[edit] Early life
He was born at Luang Phrabang, on July 14, 1885. His father was Zakarine, King of Luang Phrabang and his mother was Queen Thongsy. He was educated at Lycée Chasseloup-Laubat, Saigon and l'École Coloniale, Paris. He was known as a "playboy" king. He had up to 50 children by as many as 15 wives, two of whom were his half sisters[1] and one of whom was a niece. Fourteen of the children would die in the Mekong after a boating accident.
His wives included:
- Princess Kamuni (1885-1915), daughter of Prince Ko and Princess Duangbadani
- Kham-Phane (1896-1983), his half sister by his father's wife Mom La; they had no children
- Kham-La, a commoner
- Kham-Bua, a commoner
- Kham-tip, a commoner
- Princess Kham-Toun of Luang Prabang, his half sister (one son)
- Princess Kamaduni of the Vang Hnaxxs family
- Kam-phew, a commoner
- Princess Indrakama, a daughter of Prince Jayasena, Prince Sri Dibudinha and his wife, Pong
- Princess Kamuni
- Princess Kham-phew, the daughter of his half-brother
- Chansy (1900-1984), a commoner
[edit] King of Laos
He succeeded his father as King of Luang Prabang after the death of his father, 26th March 1904. Luang Phrabang was then a French protectorate within French Indochina. He ascended the throne, at the old Royal Palace, Luang Prabang, 15th April 1904, and was crowned there, 4th March 1905. Under his kingdom he had united provinces Houaphan, 1931; Houakhong; Xiengkhouang and Vientiane, 1942; Champassak and Sayboury, 1946.
He was a lifelong supporter of French rule in Laos, and in 1945 he refused to cooperate with Lao nationalists and he was desposed as king, while the Laos Issa declared the country independent. In April 1946, the French took over once again and Sisavang Vong was reinstated as king (the first time a Lao monarch actually ruled all of what is today called Laos).
When Laos achieved independence from France, the king of Luang Prabang, Sisavang Vong, became the head of state for the Kingdom of Laos. In 1949 the French rewarded him by creating the Kingdom of Laos with Sisavangvong as King. In 1954 he celebrated his Golden Jubilee, becoming the longest-reigning king in Asia until King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who surpassed his reign in 2001. In the 1950's US President Eisenhower, as a sign of peace, gave him an RLAF Aero Commander 520 for his displacement.
When he became ill, he made his son Crown Prince Savang Vatthana regent. His son King Savang Vatthana succeeded him on his death in 1959. He became one of the longest-serving monarchs, serving for a period of 55 years. He was cremated and buried in Wat That Luang, 1961, and during his funeral procession he was transported by the royal funeral carriage, a 12-meter-high wooden hearse with a carved seven-headed serpent. Many represenatives were at the state funeral including Prince Bhanubandhu, who represented Thailand.
Sisavangvong University was named in his honor, but was abolished in 1975 when the communists took power in Laos.
Because he presided over independence from the French Union, statues of him survived the communist revolution and remain in Luang Prabang and Vientiane. Both statues depict him in the act of bestowing a constitution upon the people.
[edit] See also
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Sisavang Vong
Born: 14 July 1885 Died: 29 October 1959 |
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| Preceded by Zakarine |
King of Laos 28 April 1904 – 20 October 1945 |
Succeeded by Independence from France |
| Preceded by Independence from France |
King of Laos 23 April 1946 – 20 October 1959 |
Succeeded by Savang Vatthana |
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| Kingdom of Laos Kings (1949-1975) |
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| Lao People's Democratic Republic Presidents (1975-) |
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* acting for Souphanouvong
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