Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu
Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu (24 February 1852 – 25 March 1932) was a Danish naval officer and businessman who became a Siamese admiral and minister of the navy. He was granted the Thai noble title Phraya Chonlayutthayothin (). He commanded forces at the Phra Chulachomklao Fortress in the Paknam Incident of 13 July 1893, that ended the Franco-Siamese War, and went on to become the first and only foreign-born commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy, from 16 January 1900 to 29 January 1901. In 1884, he co-established the East Asiatic Company with fellow Danish Hans Niels Andersen and would go on to operate Siam Electricity and several railway lines in both Siam and Denmark. During his time in Siam, he formed closed relationships with King Chulalongkorn and Prince Damrong. He returned to Denmark in 1902, suffering from malaria. He died at Kokkedal House in Hørsholm and is buried at Holmens Cemetery in Copenhagen. Botanist Ernst Johannes Schmidt in 1901, circumscribed Richelia, which is a genus of nitrogen-fixing, filamentous, heterocystous and cyanobacteria and named in Richelieu's honour. Biography Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu was born on 24 February 1852 in Løjt Kirkeby, Denmark where his father, Louis du Plessis de Richelieu, was currently the vicar. Andreas' family originated from France and migrated to Norway around 1670 before settling in Denmark. He had a younger brother named Louis August du Plessis de Richelieu who was born on 8 January 1856. Louis would die before his brother on 30 May 1910 at 54. His father would later die in Saint Thomas, Danish West Indies in 1859 at age 38. Andreas was 6–7 years old at the time of his father's passing. In 1864, Andreas was student at Roskilde Cathedral School. Andreas Richelieu would then go on to work in the Merchant Marine where he became a Lieutenant of the Reserve in the Danish marine. During his time as a merchant marine, he would visit Bangkok, Siam where he found himself attracted to Siam. Time in Siam At 23 years old in 1875 he was granted an audience in Copenhagen by the Danish king Christian IX where he wished for a Letter of Introduction to the King of Siam, Chulalongkorn. Andreas would then sail from Denmark to Bangkok via Singapore and with assistance from the Danish consul, he was given an audience by Chulalongkorn on 3 April 1875. The fact that Andreas was not significantly taller than the King was important in Siamese society and both Andreas and Chulalongkorn would form a friendship between the two. A couple weeks after his meating with Chulalongkorn, he became Captain-Lieutenant and was offered the role of second-in-command of one of the navy's ships which he turned down for command of his own ship, HSMS Regent. In 1878, he was appointed Captain of the Royal Yacht Vesatri. In 1878 he became superintendent of the Marine Forces. However to Siam's navy being small, Andreas occupied himself with other projects such as establishing railways and tramlines in Bangkok. He