The King’s name in the book and movie “The King and I” was King Mongkut of Siam, also known as Rama IV.
King Mongkut was born on 18 October, 1804, and was the fourth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1851 to 1868.
His full name is Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthramaha Mongkut Phra Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua.
Those crazy Kings in Siam loved long names.
In real life he was most known for his skillful negotiations with the British in securing Thailand’s, then Siam’s, status of self-rule.
Few people know, however, that he was also a monk prior to taking the throne and in fact founded the Thammayut Buddhist sect.
“The King and I” was also a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and is based on the book “Anna and the King of Siam” by Margaret Landon.
The book was based on the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became school teacher to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s and inspired the movie of the same name.
