Succession
When Prince Jessadabodindra was 37, King Rama II became seriously ill and died, without having named his successor. According to law of succession, Prince Mongkut (later King Rama IV) should have become king because he was born from the queen consort of King Rama II. However, the older Prince Jessadabodindra was seen as a more appropriate choice, having headed such administrations as the Department of Royal Household, the Treasury, Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Supreme Judicature. After an assembly, the house of nobility approved Prince Jessadabodindra as the 3rd King of Bangkok. Mongkut, passed over for the throne, took monastic vows. Some sources suggest that Mongkut thought his life in danger and so chose to retreat from politics.[1]