The Nguyen Dynasty today is spread all across the world and are involved in a variety of activities. The children of Emperor Bao Dai; Crown Prince Bao Long, Prince Bao Thang, Princess Phuong Lien and Princess Phuong Dung, all moved to Europe to lead lives as private citizens. Crown Prince Bao Long died in 2007 and was succeeded as head of the dynasty by his younger brother Prince Bao Thang. The children of the former Emperor Ham Nghi also live in Europe and married into the European aristocracy. The children of Emperor Duy Tan mostly continue to live on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. Prince Claude Vinh San has become quite a successful jazz musician there.
Other members of the dynasty, as well as the descendants of past Vietnamese Imperial Families, such as the Le and Ly dynasties continue to live in Vietnam and work to keep alive the memory of the imperial traditions. Recently, the Communist government has allowed the revival of many of the old imperial rituals such as holding court banquets for tourists, preservation of court music and costumes as well as the revival of the Nam Giao ceremony, which is performed by actors.
There are also some claimants making their presence known on the political scene in the United States and engaged in political movements with some Lao exiles and a pretender to the now non-existant throne of Burma.
The Vietnamese Monarchy page from this website was recently featured in the December 2001 issue of "Monarchy" the journal of the International Monarchist League. The Monarchist League has proven to be instrumental in bringing attention to the royal families of many nations forced into exile or deprived of their posistion.
The Vietnam Culture Site, Vietnam Panorama, recently reported that the Film Company of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon to you & me) is working on a movie about the last Emperor of Vietnam, Hoang De Bao Dai. We can only imagine what kind of picture they intend to paint of the august Son of Heaven, but the director, Nguyen Quoc Hung admits much of it will be fictitious. The film, titled "Ngon Nen Hoang Cung" (The Royal Candle) will consist of 25 episodes focused on the Emperor's life from 1945 to 1954.
Last year the Communist government sent a delegation to France to confer with Countess De La Besse (formerly Princess Nhu Ly) on the return of the remains of her father, Emperor Ham Nghi, to Hue City for burial. The 92-year-old princess said the decision was up to her son but expressed her reluctance about the idea. No definite decision has been made as yet.
The son of the heroic Emperor Duy Tan, Crown Prince George Vinh San has become quite a popular figure among Vietnamese exiles in France. His Highness makes frequent trips back to Vietnam and the Forbidden City, but his inability to speak Vietnamese may hurt his image in the country and among some circles of exiles. Nontheless he is currently serving as Grand Master of the (restored French colonial) Order of the Dragon of Annam though most Vietnamese loyal to the dynasty consider this still an enterprise dominated by self-seeking foreigners. |
