OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 955, 24 October 1910, Page 7

OBITUARY.

PRINCE FRANCIS OF TECK.'-'; By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Reo. October 23, 5.5 p.m.); ';- : '-' ■''"'*■'• London, "October 23.■:''.. The death is announced of , Priuco Francis of Teck from septicaemia, fol--lowing ah operation for the removal of a pleuritic effusioiv King Georgo arid many others wore present at the death-bed.-: •■."■' ,; ' The Prince was an unobtrusive man and popular in'the Army. . (Rec. October 24, 0.30 a.m.) ' London, ; October 23.-! Prince Franois of Teck's funeral ia to take place at Windsor on Wednesday. ~ ;■.■..■■,.■■ ■ ; His Serene Highness Prince Francis of Teck, K.C.V.0., D.5.0., was born at Kensington Palace on January 9, 1870.' He was a 'son of the late Duke of Teck, who married Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, a daughter of the first Duke of Cambridge, and first cousin to' Queen Victoria. Prince Francis was thus both cousiu and brother-in-law to King George. ; . He was educated at Wellington. College and Sandhurst, and 'joined tbo First Dragoons in IS9O, retiring 'as.Major' in 1902. Ho served in the South African War from 1899 to 1900, in the • Remount; Department, and was also . stationed in Baluchistan, Egypt, and Ireland, at various times. THE KING OF SIM. V ; (Reo. October 24, 0.30 a.m.) ' London, October 23. ; King Chulalongkorn I, of Siam, is,' dead; aged 42. : .- When' King Chulalongkorn succeeded to the throne on the death of his father in' 1868 he was a boy of fifteen years. In his father's reign and within' his own lifetime Siam had passed from the darkness of the Middle Ages into modern times, but many anachronisms remained. The King- set himself to govern for the good of his people. His task was colossal. The nobles could not and, would not understand, and from the uncomplaining peasantry hd help was to bo expected. So for twenty-five years but little real progress was made. In 1896 tlio independence of the Menam Valley, was guaranteed by the Anglo; French Agreement. Siam was given d new lease of life, and to her credit she has shown that she knew how to use her opportunity. To the King first, and' next to his half-brother Prince. Dainrong, Minister of the Interior, and to those Europeans who have loyally worked with him in the administration of the various Government departments, is due the regeneration of Siam within the last dozen years. The King was keen and observant, and cared little for the luxury of the East,' and few strangers to Bangkok would suspect that the unassuming and genial gentleman, driving past in a small motor-car, attended by two or three of his children, was the autocratic ruler of Siam. As the only independent Buddhist monarch, lie was looked upon as the chief defender. of the faith, but in religious as in other matters he always showed a widely , tolerant spirit, and ho did not hesitate to entrust tho upbringing' of his children to Europeans. On the Crown Prince the future deponds. English by wducation and in many of his sympathies, he will come to the throne very differently equipped from any previous ruler of Siam, and it is not too much to hopo that ho will succeed in solving many of those problems w.hich his country now has to faco. In 1907 the late monarch visited England.