The 1999 movie Anna and the King was a brilliant movie that starred Jodie Foster and Chow-Yun-Fat. It was based on the true story of Anna Leonowens’ time spent as a teacher in the Siamese court from 1862 to 1867. While the movie was mostly accurate, it was romanticized. If you are curious about the real story behind Anna and the King, you will want to read the following true facts.
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1. Not a Romance
Anna and the King depicts the relationship between Anna and King Mongkut as a romance; however, their relationship was far from a romance. In reality, Anna Leonowens and King Mongkut had a professional relationship of tolerance. Neither one fully agreed with the other. For example, the king disapproved of Anna living outside of the palace walls, and Anna staunchly opposed that the king allowed slavery. Clearly, this was not a romance.
Anna and the King is based on the 1944 novel by Margaret Landon, which is based on the true story of Anna Leonowens. Anna was an English teacher who was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to teach his many children and wives in the 1860s. Despite the movie depicting a romantic relationship between Anna and the king, this was far from the truth. In reality, Anna and the King had a professional relationship of tolerance. Anna was a strong advocate for women's rights and education, and she clashed with the king over his views on slavery. The movie was released in 1999 and stars Jodie Foster as Anna and Chow Yun-fat as King Mongkut. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
2. Not Just a Teacher
When Anna was hired by King Mongkut he instructed her that she would be furthering his children’s education in the “English language, science, and literature, and not for the conversion of Christianity.” Despite these instructions, Anna did try to instill Christian values, which she revealed in her autobiography, “The English Governess at the Siamese Court.”
Anna Leonowens was an English teacher who was hired by King Mongkut of Siam in the 1860s to tutor his children and wives in the English language, science, and literature. Anna is best known as the main character in the musical and film adaptation of the 1944 novel, The King and I.
Anna was born in India in 1834 and moved to England when she was 15 years old. She then married Thomas Leonowens, an Indian-born British soldier, and had two children with him. After the death of her husband, Anna and her children moved to Singapore in 1862. It was there that she was hired by King Mongkut of Siam as a teacher for his children and wives.
Although Anna was hired to teach only English, science, and literature, she also tried to instill Christian values in her students. This was revealed in her autobiography, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, which was published in 1870.
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3. Western King
Because he opened Siam to Western influence, King Mongkut was unlike his predecessors. He formed treaties with Britain and the United States to open Siam to Western commerce, and he had Anna instruct his children in Western education. While not everyone agreed with the king’s decisions, his choice to allow Western influence into Siam helped prevent Siam from becoming a colony during the Age of Imperialism.
King Mongkut, also known as Rama IV, was the fourth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty, which has reigned in Thailand since 1782. He was born in 1804 and was the eldest son of King Rama II. He became the King of Siam in 1851, succeeding his half-brother, King Rama III.
King Mongkut was a progressive leader who was open to Western influence. He signed treaties with Britain and the United States, opened Siam to Western commerce, and encouraged Western education. He was also a keen scholar of science and technology and was the first Siamese king to travel to the West.
His progressive views and openness to Western culture were not popular with all of his subjects. However, his decision to allow Western influence into Siam helped prevent Siam from becoming a colony during the Age of Imperialism.
4. Anna’s past
Anna Leonowen’s never discussed her background very much. She claimed Welsh heritage, but in reality she was the daughter of a British soldier and a woman of English and Indian descent. Anna spent most of her childhood in India, which is perhaps why she was so comfortable in foreign lands.
Anna Leonowens was a real person who lived in the mid-19th century. She was born in India in 1831 to a British soldier and an English-Indian woman. As a child, she was exposed to the culture of India and the British Raj.
Anna was well-educated and spoke multiple languages. She was a teacher and a governess and eventually wrote a book about her experiences in Siam (now Thailand). The book was later adapted into the musical The King and I and the 1956 movie of the same name.
The movie starred Deborah Kerr as Anna and Yul Brynner as the King of Siam. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won five. It was also a commercial success, grossing over $5 million in the United States.
The movie was criticized for its inaccurate portrayal of the relationship between Anna and the King. In reality, Anna and the King had a respectful relationship, and she was a trusted advisor to him. The King admired her intelligence and courage and she was instrumental in modernizing Siam.
5. Mongkut the Monk
When King Mongkut’s father died, his older brother became king and he became a monk. He was only 20 when he became a monk, and during his time as a monk he studied early Buddhist teachings. It was also during his time as a monk that King Mongkut began studying Western language and science, which partly explains his openness to Western influence when he did become king.
King Mongkut was the King of Siam from 1851 to 1868. He was the first Siamese monarch to embrace Western culture and technology, and he is credited with modernizing Siam and transforming it into a major regional power. During his reign, he established diplomatic relations with the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, and abolished slavery and the death penalty. King Mongkut was also a prolific author and a renowned scholar, and he is remembered for his religious reforms and his efforts to promote education. His life was the basis for the 1999 movie Anna and the King, starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat.
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6. Imperialism
When Anna arrived at the Siamese court, the Age of Imperialism was in full swing. Anna saw her presence within the palace walls as a way of expanding British beliefs, especially Christianity and anti-slavery. Interestingly, King Mongkut saw Anna’s presence differently. He saw it as a way to resist imperialism, because he felt the future king would be better able to resist Western pressure if he was schooled in Western education.
Anna and the King is a 1999 musical drama film directed by Andy Tennant and starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat. The film is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon, which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became a governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s. The film explores the clash of cultures between the King and Anna, as well as the King's attempt to protect Siam from Western imperialism. It also shows Anna's attempts to introduce the King to modern ideas and values, such as Christianity and anti-slavery. The film received two Academy Award nominations and was a box office success, grossing over $182 million worldwide.
7. Successor
King Mongkut’s oldest son, Chulalongkorn, became king at the age of 15. Chulalongkorn’s education and well-being were some of the few things Anna and King Mongkut had in common. Both wanted him to succeed, and in the eyes of both he did. Chulalongkorn was able to keep the Siamese kingdom independent, which would have made his father proud, and he abolished slavery, which would have made Anna happy.
The story of Anna and the King is fascinating. While the movie was wonderful, the true facts are far more interesting as they reveal a complicated relationship between a teacher and a king. Did you know Anna and the King was a true story?
womenshistory.about.com, womenineuropeanhistory.org, britannica.com, britannica.com
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