Cremation Site for King Ananda of Thailand

(Original Caption) Bangkok, Siam: Cremation Of Siam's King. A view of the cremation ceremonies of former King Ananda of Thailand (Siam), at Bangkok last week, when the body of the young king who was shot to death under mysterious circumstances nearly four years ago was burned with all the solemn ritual of the colorful land. The golden urn containing the Royal remains are inside the Golden Meru, the castle like Palanquin that dominates the picture. Naval officers are controlling the fire, which at one time nearly set the entire edifice on fire. The tiered umbrellas at right are a symbol of the Royal rank of the deceased. The seven tiers would have been nine had Ananda been formally crowned before his death. Ananda's brother, Phumiphon, was chief mourner. He will be crowned king in the near future. (Photo by © Bettmann/CORBIS/Bettmann Archive)