(Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Engraving of the French embassy received by Narai in 1685)
King Narai rested secure on his throne in 1670 – or so he thought. But with the court consumed by intrigue and plots, the next decade saw the gradual unraveling of the previously stable political order. Narai’s most loyal allies and friends disappear one by one – often by the King’s own doing. And with no obvious heir and an aging king, the question of succession was at the forefront of everyone’s mind.
Into this mix entered a new player. An adventurer from Greece, arriving on an English ship: Constantine Phaulkon. Phaulkon’s rapid rise would stun those around him – and anger even more. Ultimately, the King’s favoritism towards this western minister would sow the seeds of destruction in Ayutthaya.
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