Autograph – Prince Paribatra Sukhumbandh of Siam (1881–1944) – Letter dictated in German, with a handwritten signature, 1907.
Double-sheet letter (21.5 x 13.5 cm) on "Hotel Stephanie" (Baden-Baden) stationery, dated "June 8, 1907," with one and a half pages of text in black ink. "Your Excellency, I beg to inform you that His Majesty [referring to King Chulalongkorn of Siam, the Prince’s father] will be making an excursion to Strasbourg tomorrow; consequently, much to my regret, I shall be unable to accept Your Excellency’s kind invitation. [...] Your Excellency’s grateful [servant]," followed by the handwritten signature "Prince Paribatra." Folded, with some staining and tears along the folds. Prince Paribatra Sukhumbandh—the 33rd child and 13th son of King Chulalongkorn—received his military training in Germany starting in 1899, attending the Potsdam Military Academy, serving with the 4th Guards Grenadier Regiment, and studying at the Kassel Military Academy; he concluded his service in 1903 with the rank of captain. Upon his return to Siam, he became Chief of the General Staff, and in 1904, Commander-in-Chief of the Siamese Navy. Following his father’s death in 1910, he served as Minister of the Navy, later becoming Minister of the Army (1920), Minister of War (1926), and, from 1928, Prime Minister. In 1907, he accompanied his father on a European tour, which included a visit to Germany—where, among other things, they met with Prince Rangsit, who was studying in Heidelberg. During this trip, Kaiser Wilhelm II appointed Prince Paribatra *à la suite* to the Queen Augusta Guards Grenadier Regiment No. 4, an honor that permitted him to wear the Prussian uniform.
