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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>English Governess at the Siamese Court</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/english-governess-at-the-siamese-court--6694411</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/6694411/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright Biographies and Memoirs</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg</url><title>English Governess at the Siamese Court</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/english-governess-at-the-siamese-court--6694411</link></image><lastBuildDate>Sun, 09 Aug 2026 20:00:41 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Public Domain Books</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker10@adfreesounds.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="History"/><itunes:category text="Society &amp; Culture"/><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Prince (Version 3)-Niccolò Machiavelli</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/prince-version-3-niccolo-machiavelli--73721572</link><description><![CDATA[Prince (Version 3)-Niccolò Machiavelli]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73721572</guid><pubDate>Sun, 09 Aug 2026 20:00:41 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73721572/prince_version_3_niccolo_machiavelli.mp3" length="99073803" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Prince (Version 3)-Niccolò Machiavelli</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Prince (Version 3)-Niccolò Machiavelli]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>12372</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table (version 2)-Andrew Lang</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/tales-of-king-arthur-and-the-round-table-version-2-andrew-lang--73682902</link><description><![CDATA["Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table" by Andrew Lang invites listeners into the legendary world of chivalry, heroism, and the timeless ideals embodied by King Arthur and his noble knights. This collection of tales captures the essence of loyalty, bravery, and the quest for honor, themes that continue to resonate in our modern lives. The stories explore the complexities of human nature and the moral dilemmas faced by its characters, making them enduring narratives that inspire reflection and discussion. With its rich tapestry of adventure and camaraderie, this audiobook offers a captivating journey through a realm where courage and virtue reign supreme, reminding us of the timeless pursuit of greatness.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73682902</guid><pubDate>Sun, 09 Aug 2026 09:03:31 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73682902/tales_of_king_arthur_and_the_round_table_version_2_andrew_lang.mp3" length="129136061" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table" by Andrew Lang invites listeners into the legendary world of chivalry, heroism, and the timeless ideals embodied by King Arthur and his noble knights. This collection of tales captures the essence of loyalty,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table" by Andrew Lang invites listeners into the legendary world of chivalry, heroism, and the timeless ideals embodied by King Arthur and his noble knights. This collection of tales captures the essence of loyalty, bravery, and the quest for honor, themes that continue to resonate in our modern lives. The stories explore the complexities of human nature and the moral dilemmas faced by its characters, making them enduring narratives that inspire reflection and discussion. With its rich tapestry of adventure and camaraderie, this audiobook offers a captivating journey through a realm where courage and virtue reign supreme, reminding us of the timeless pursuit of greatness.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>16126</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Plea for Ragged Schools; or, Prevention Better than Cure-Thomas Guthrie</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/plea-for-ragged-schools-or-prevention-better-than-cure-thomas-guthrie--73647223</link><description><![CDATA["Plea for Ragged Schools; or, Prevention Better than Cure" by Thomas Guthrie is a compelling call to action advocating for the establishment of ragged schools to educate and uplift impoverished children. Guthrie emphasizes that prevention, through education and support, is far more effective than merely addressing the consequences of poverty. This timeless message resonates today as society continues to grapple with issues of inequality and the importance of accessible education for all. The book serves as a powerful reminder of the impact that dedicated efforts toward education can have on transforming lives and communities, making it a vital listen for anyone interested in social reform and the enduring power of compassion.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73647223</guid><pubDate>Sat, 08 Aug 2026 09:02:06 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73647223/plea_for_ragged_schools_or_prevention_better_than_cure_thomas_guthrie.mp3" length="49347047" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Plea for Ragged Schools; or, Prevention Better than Cure" by Thomas Guthrie is a compelling call to action advocating for the establishment of ragged schools to educate and uplift impoverished children. Guthrie emphasizes that prevention, through...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Plea for Ragged Schools; or, Prevention Better than Cure" by Thomas Guthrie is a compelling call to action advocating for the establishment of ragged schools to educate and uplift impoverished children. Guthrie emphasizes that prevention, through education and support, is far more effective than merely addressing the consequences of poverty. This timeless message resonates today as society continues to grapple with issues of inequality and the importance of accessible education for all. The book serves as a powerful reminder of the impact that dedicated efforts toward education can have on transforming lives and communities, making it a vital listen for anyone interested in social reform and the enduring power of compassion.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6162</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>France At War On the Frontier of Civilization-Rudyard Kipling</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/france-at-war-on-the-frontier-of-civilization-rudyard-kipling--73605132</link><description><![CDATA["France At War On the Frontier of Civilization" by Rudyard Kipling offers a compelling exploration of the complexities and challenges faced by France during a time of conflict. This work delves into the broader implications of war on civilization, highlighting themes of resilience, cultural clash, and the human spirit's endurance in the face of adversity. Kipling's insights remain relevant today, as societies grapple with the consequences of conflict and the pursuit of peace. His eloquent prose invites listeners to reflect on the enduring nature of these themes and their impact on contemporary life. Engaging with this audiobook allows for a deeper understanding of the historical context and its resonance with modern struggles.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73605132</guid><pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2026 09:02:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73605132/france_at_war_on_the_frontier_of_civilization_rudyard_kipling.mp3" length="49187898" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"France At War On the Frontier of Civilization" by Rudyard Kipling offers a compelling exploration of the complexities and challenges faced by France during a time of conflict. This work delves into the broader implications of war on civilization,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["France At War On the Frontier of Civilization" by Rudyard Kipling offers a compelling exploration of the complexities and challenges faced by France during a time of conflict. This work delves into the broader implications of war on civilization, highlighting themes of resilience, cultural clash, and the human spirit's endurance in the face of adversity. Kipling's insights remain relevant today, as societies grapple with the consequences of conflict and the pursuit of peace. His eloquent prose invites listeners to reflect on the enduring nature of these themes and their impact on contemporary life. Engaging with this audiobook allows for a deeper understanding of the historical context and its resonance with modern struggles.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6142</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Henry VI, Part 2-William Shakespeare</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/henry-vi-part-2-william-shakespeare--73560960</link><description><![CDATA["Henry VI, Part 2" by William Shakespeare delves into the tumultuous power struggles and political intrigues of England during the reign of King Henry VI. This gripping play captures the essence of ambition, betrayal, and the quest for authority, revealing how personal desires can lead to national chaos. Its exploration of the complexities of governance and the fragility of leadership resonates deeply in today's world, where similar themes of conflict and ambition continue to shape societies. Shakespeare's masterful portrayal of the human condition and the relentless pursuit of power makes this work not only a timeless classic but also a compelling reflection on the nature of political power and its consequences.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73560960</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:08:57 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73560960/henry_vi_part_2_william_shakespeare.mp3" length="91695721" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Henry VI, Part 2" by William Shakespeare delves into the tumultuous power struggles and political intrigues of England during the reign of King Henry VI. This gripping play captures the essence of ambition, betrayal, and the quest for authority,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Henry VI, Part 2" by William Shakespeare delves into the tumultuous power struggles and political intrigues of England during the reign of King Henry VI. This gripping play captures the essence of ambition, betrayal, and the quest for authority, revealing how personal desires can lead to national chaos. Its exploration of the complexities of governance and the fragility of leadership resonates deeply in today's world, where similar themes of conflict and ambition continue to shape societies. Shakespeare's masterful portrayal of the human condition and the relentless pursuit of power makes this work not only a timeless classic but also a compelling reflection on the nature of political power and its consequences.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>11450</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Second Chance-Nellie McClung</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/second-chance-nellie-mcclung--73508287</link><description><![CDATA["Second Chance-Nellie McClung" delves into the life and legacy of Nellie McClung, a pivotal figure in Canada's women's suffrage movement. This audiobook explores her journey of resilience and determination as she fought for women's rights and social justice, themes that resonate powerfully in today's ongoing discussions about equality and empowerment. McClung's story serves as a reminder of the importance of advocacy and the impact one individual can have on society. Listeners will find inspiration in her unwavering spirit and the enduring relevance of her message, making this audiobook a compelling listen for anyone interested in the history of social change and the fight for rights.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73508287</guid><pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 2026 18:03:56 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73508287/second_chance_nellie_mcclung.mp3" length="256300528" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Second Chance-Nellie McClung" delves into the life and legacy of Nellie McClung, a pivotal figure in Canada's women's suffrage movement. This audiobook explores her journey of resilience and determination as she fought for women's rights and social...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Second Chance-Nellie McClung" delves into the life and legacy of Nellie McClung, a pivotal figure in Canada's women's suffrage movement. This audiobook explores her journey of resilience and determination as she fought for women's rights and social justice, themes that resonate powerfully in today's ongoing discussions about equality and empowerment. McClung's story serves as a reminder of the importance of advocacy and the impact one individual can have on society. Listeners will find inspiration in her unwavering spirit and the enduring relevance of her message, making this audiobook a compelling listen for anyone interested in the history of social change and the fight for rights.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>32006</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Travels in Brazil, Volume 2-Henry Koster</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/travels-in-brazil-volume-2-henry-koster--73457782</link><description><![CDATA["Travels in Brazil, Volume 2" by Henry Koster invites listeners to explore the rich landscapes and diverse cultures of Brazil through the eyes of a passionate traveler. This volume continues Koster's journey, offering vivid descriptions and insightful observations that paint a picture of a country teeming with life and adventure. The themes of exploration and cultural appreciation resonate strongly today, as they remind us of the importance of understanding and valuing different perspectives in our increasingly interconnected world.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73457782</guid><pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 20:48:21 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73457782/travels_in_brazil_volume_2_henry_koster.mp3" length="212100593" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Travels in Brazil, Volume 2" by Henry Koster invites listeners to explore the rich landscapes and diverse cultures of Brazil through the eyes of a passionate traveler. This volume continues Koster's journey, offering vivid descriptions and insightful...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Travels in Brazil, Volume 2" by Henry Koster invites listeners to explore the rich landscapes and diverse cultures of Brazil through the eyes of a passionate traveler. This volume continues Koster's journey, offering vivid descriptions and insightful observations that paint a picture of a country teeming with life and adventure. The themes of exploration and cultural appreciation resonate strongly today, as they remind us of the importance of understanding and valuing different perspectives in our increasingly interconnected world.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>26486</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>32 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/32-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118827</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118827</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:31:08 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118827/32_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="7446443" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/29c2a63b-eea3-4b9a-a201-b7245de41ff3/29c2a63b-eea3-4b9a-a201-b7245de41ff3.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/29c2a63b-eea3-4b9a-a201-b7245de41ff3/29c2a63b-eea3-4b9a-a201-b7245de41ff3.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/29c2a63b-eea3-4b9a-a201-b7245de41ff3/29c2a63b-eea3-4b9a-a201-b7245de41ff3.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>931</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>31 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/31-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118825</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118825</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:31:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118825/31_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="14608408" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/15597633-2865-4104-be32-1a14f4091db2/15597633-2865-4104-be32-1a14f4091db2.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/15597633-2865-4104-be32-1a14f4091db2/15597633-2865-4104-be32-1a14f4091db2.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/15597633-2865-4104-be32-1a14f4091db2/15597633-2865-4104-be32-1a14f4091db2.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1826</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>30 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/30-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118823</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118823</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:30:50 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118823/30_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="14748597" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/895efdc9-77fd-4013-9149-225c377a18e6/895efdc9-77fd-4013-9149-225c377a18e6.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/895efdc9-77fd-4013-9149-225c377a18e6/895efdc9-77fd-4013-9149-225c377a18e6.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/895efdc9-77fd-4013-9149-225c377a18e6/895efdc9-77fd-4013-9149-225c377a18e6.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1844</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>29 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/29-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118821</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118821</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:30:38 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118821/29_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="17509228" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/18ade299-90ad-418e-be00-9802e5bc1142/18ade299-90ad-418e-be00-9802e5bc1142.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/18ade299-90ad-418e-be00-9802e5bc1142/18ade299-90ad-418e-be00-9802e5bc1142.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/18ade299-90ad-418e-be00-9802e5bc1142/18ade299-90ad-418e-be00-9802e5bc1142.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>2189</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>28 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/28-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118820</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118820</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:30:23 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118820/28_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="18558540" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/e68fc5d3-3259-4029-b599-c6c8993f8f33/e68fc5d3-3259-4029-b599-c6c8993f8f33.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/e68fc5d3-3259-4029-b599-c6c8993f8f33/e68fc5d3-3259-4029-b599-c6c8993f8f33.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/e68fc5d3-3259-4029-b599-c6c8993f8f33/e68fc5d3-3259-4029-b599-c6c8993f8f33.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>2320</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>27 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/27-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118819</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118819</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:30:08 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118819/27_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="14556373" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/e96f4a23-b428-4859-96e5-1efc4f8a1035/e96f4a23-b428-4859-96e5-1efc4f8a1035.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/e96f4a23-b428-4859-96e5-1efc4f8a1035/e96f4a23-b428-4859-96e5-1efc4f8a1035.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/e96f4a23-b428-4859-96e5-1efc4f8a1035/e96f4a23-b428-4859-96e5-1efc4f8a1035.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1820</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>26 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/26-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118818</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118818</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:29:56 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118818/26_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="15647002" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/33e1a4c0-a89e-4282-bf38-8d907d6f10e5/33e1a4c0-a89e-4282-bf38-8d907d6f10e5.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/33e1a4c0-a89e-4282-bf38-8d907d6f10e5/33e1a4c0-a89e-4282-bf38-8d907d6f10e5.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/33e1a4c0-a89e-4282-bf38-8d907d6f10e5/33e1a4c0-a89e-4282-bf38-8d907d6f10e5.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1956</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>25 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/25-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118817</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118817</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:29:44 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118817/25_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="4937843" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/f5f3fee7-df15-494f-829a-ba532a7cd686/f5f3fee7-df15-494f-829a-ba532a7cd686.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/f5f3fee7-df15-494f-829a-ba532a7cd686/f5f3fee7-df15-494f-829a-ba532a7cd686.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/f5f3fee7-df15-494f-829a-ba532a7cd686/f5f3fee7-df15-494f-829a-ba532a7cd686.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>618</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>24 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/24-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118815</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118815</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:29:39 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118815/24_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="12922315" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/ec662739-9abe-4645-a7e4-804cf5ca8a1f/ec662739-9abe-4645-a7e4-804cf5ca8a1f.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/ec662739-9abe-4645-a7e4-804cf5ca8a1f/ec662739-9abe-4645-a7e4-804cf5ca8a1f.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/ec662739-9abe-4645-a7e4-804cf5ca8a1f/ec662739-9abe-4645-a7e4-804cf5ca8a1f.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1616</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>23 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/23-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118813</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118813</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:29:28 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118813/23_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="22538123" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/596d4ef8-f5b6-4891-b00f-2acc1b5980d3/596d4ef8-f5b6-4891-b00f-2acc1b5980d3.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/596d4ef8-f5b6-4891-b00f-2acc1b5980d3/596d4ef8-f5b6-4891-b00f-2acc1b5980d3.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/596d4ef8-f5b6-4891-b00f-2acc1b5980d3/596d4ef8-f5b6-4891-b00f-2acc1b5980d3.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>2818</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>22 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/22-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118808</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118808</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:29:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118808/22_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="8084663" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1011</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>21 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/21-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118807</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118807</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:29:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118807/21_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="8291341" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1037</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>20 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/20-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118805</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118805</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:28:54 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118805/20_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="12898937" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1613</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>19 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/19-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118803</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118803</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:28:43 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118803/19_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="3065173" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>384</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>18 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/18-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118802</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118802</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:28:39 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118802/18_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="3957527" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>495</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>17 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/17-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118801</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118801</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:28:36 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118801/17_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="6474676" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>810</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>16 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/16-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118800</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118800</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:28:30 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118800/16_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="9743118" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1218</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>15 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/15-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118799</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118799</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:28:20 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118799/15_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="2743770" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>343</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>14 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/14-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118798</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118798</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:28:16 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118798/14_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="7432439" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>929</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>13 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/13-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118797</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118797</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:28:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118797/13_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="11807224" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1476</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>12 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/12-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118796</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118796</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:27:59 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118796/12_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="7562628" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>946</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>11 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/11-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118795</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118795</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:27:51 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118795/11_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="4124295" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>516</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>10 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/10-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118794</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118794</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:27:47 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118794/10_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="8285281" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1036</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>09 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/09-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118793</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118793</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:27:40 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118793/09_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="3885838" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>486</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>08 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/08-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118792</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118792</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:27:36 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118792/08_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="4622709" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>578</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>07 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/07-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118791</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118791</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:27:31 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118791/07_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="10774021" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1347</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>06 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/06-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118789</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118789</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:27:22 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118789/06_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="3782632" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>473</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>05 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/05-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118788</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118788</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:27:17 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118788/05_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="5604920" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>701</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>04 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/04-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118787</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118787</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:27:12 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118787/04_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="14452690" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1807</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>03 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/03-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118783</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118783</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:27:00 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118783/03_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="9320985" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1166</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>02 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/02-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118780</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118780</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:26:51 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118780/02_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="10906713" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1364</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>01 - English Governess at the Siamese Court by Anna Harriette Leonowens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/01-english-governess-at-the-siamese-court-by-anna-harriette-leonowens--67118778</link><description><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/67118778</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:26:41 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67118778/01_english_governess_at_the_siamese_court_by_anna_harriette_leonowens.mp3" length="3474778" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Anna Harriette Leonowens</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 1862, Anna Leonowens embarked on a unique journey. She was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to educate his extensive family - 39 wives, concubines, and 82 children. The King sought to provide them a modern Western education, a task that previous missionaries wives had failed to accomplish. Anna took her son Louis to Bangkok, leaving her daughter Avis in England. She served in the Siamese court for nearly six years, first as a teacher and then as the kings language secretary. Despite the respect and political influence she held, she found herself at odds with the terms of her employment, leading the king to view her as a difficult woman. Her services were acknowledged in the Kings will and by his successor, young King Chulalongkorn. In 1869, she moved to New York and began publishing travel articles, which she later compiled into her memoirs. Her first book, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, brought her fame and controversy. Critics accused her of sensationalism and of overemphasizing her impact on the king. Her critical perspective of court life has sparked debates in Thailand to this day.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>435</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>controversy,court,culture,education,feminism,history,memoirs,thailand,travel,westernization</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2fbf965f9762a53842610dc29f401cd1.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
