An official portrait of the Mahidol family,just after King Ananda Mahidol acceded the throne upon the abdication of King prajadhipok in 1935 Against the wishes of the government,the princess Mother insisted that the young king and his brother continue their schooling as normal instead of private tutoring. In a letter to Queen savang Vadhana,the princess Mother wrote " having to shoulder the mantle of kingship the King would be unhappy if deprived of his childhood It is quite necessary for a king to mix and mingle with ordinary people to learn about their habits By doing so,it would benefit the country,which is under a democratic system"
The two brothers were enrolled in private school,Ecole Nouvelle de la Suisse Romande,where they learned Latin,French,German,English and Spanish as well as gardening and carpentry At home they attended a Thai class,where they studied the language as well as Thai history and Buddhism.
Although they had moved into a more spacious home at villa Vadhana in Pully,outside Lausanne,the princess Mother made sure that they remained firmly grounded with chores and errands just like any other boy of their own age. They had to make their own beds,and were also encouraged to earn extra pocket money by picking apples and pears in nearby fruit orchards. Any indulgence to the King and his brother was discouraged except for special occasions like birthdays or the new year
The princess Mother also instilled in her children a sense of service to others. If they ever received monetary gifts,they had to put aside a percentage of it into a box for the poor.Similarly,punishment often came in the from of putting money into this box.
It is evident that the grounded upbringing and sense of responsibility instilled by the princess Mother ,as well as Prince Mahidol's dedication to his country despite his own frail health,served to provide inspiration and a strong foundation that helped define the monarchy of the modern ear as witnessed under the riegn of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.Rama IX.