The Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall พระที่นั่งจักรีมหาปราสาท Located between the Halls Group and Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall. Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall was constructed during the reign of King Chulalongkorn to commemorate the centenary of the Chakri Dynasty. It was designed by a British architect, in the European style with a roof in pure Thai style, thus blending East and West. Construction lasted for six years from 1876 to 1882. The roof has three spires of seven-tiered pavilion style. "At the four corner of the base of the spires there used to be mouldings of Garudas Nagas as decorative supports., but during renovation in King Rama VII's reign they were replaced by swan-shaped brackets. The roof is in two-tiers and covered with coloured glazed tiles. On the top floor of the central mansion the royal ashes are kept and the king gives public audience from a front projection there of. The second floor serves as an audience hall where portraits of the present King and Queen are displayed. On the ground floor is the office of the royal guards. In the eastern mansion, religious objects are kept on the top floor. The middle floor serves as reception hall for royal-guests. On the wall the family portrait of King Chulalongkorn, his Queen Si-Bacharindra and their five sons is hung. The lowest floor server as a guest' waiting room. In the western mansion on the top floor are kept the ashes of queens and high ranking princes and princesses. The middle floor serves as guests's chamber where on the wall are hung the portraits of King Rama VII and Her Majesty Queen Rambhai Barni. The lowest floor serves as library. A gallery joins the central mansion to the eastern mansion. The middle floor is divided lengthwise into two parts. The inner part is a reception room where the portraits of the kings of the Chakri Dynasty from King Rama I to King Rama VII are hung. The outer part is a verandah which connects the throne hall to the reception hall. Another gallery joins the central mansion to the western one. The middle floor is an open hall for receiving guests. On the wall there are portraits of the Queens of King Rama IV, Rama V and Rama VII. The ground floor is also and open hall. In the rear centre of the Chakri Maha Prasat Hall is the Chakri Throne Room where the King receives ambassadors on the occasion of the presentation of their credentials. At the end of the room stands the throne called Phuttanthom Throne, made of wood covered with silver and gold foil. A nine-tiered white Conopy made for King Chulalongkorn stands over this throne. The emblem of the Chakri Dynasty is depicted on the wall behind the throne. The other walls are decorated with four canvasses depicting deplomatic receptions of the past. One on the right as one enters the room depicts the reception by Queen Victoria of King Mongkut's ambassador in London, further on is Louis XIV's recoption of the mission sent by King Narai the Great of Ayutthaya in the Gallerie des Glaces in the palace of Versailles ; the third, on the other side of the room, King Mongkut's reception of the French Envoy, and the fourth, the reception at Fontainebleau by the Emperor Napoleon III of another Siamese Mission. The cryltal decorations of the hall are mostly presents from foreign monarches to King Chulalongkorn. |