This trip was to last 6 months. So preparations were for most of the summer.
The travel began in Paris and on to Nice, then, to Genoa. Then, they boarded a German liner of 8000 tons. Three weeks later they arrived in Singapore. They had short stops at Port Said, Aden, Colombo, and Penang. The official greeters were in white uniforms and the parties were escorted to spacious palaces and enjoyed cool rooms during lunch.
The regular suite included the maid of honor, Miss Hamilton, Chamberlain Rudebeck, and aide-de-camp Heidenstam. There were 10 others which included Swedish diplomats, professor, Siamese consul to Stockholm and others.
In Bangkok, the experience was enjoyable and in the palace where were served “admirably.” (Page 143) For Marie’s personal suite, she received a lady from the Siamese court and 2 chamberlains and the Prince, Marie’s husband received several Siamese aide-de-camp. There were many pages who were young boys who would wait on Marie and her husband. The boys were “from good families and only royal personages could only be approached by nobility.” (Page 144) What was also made available was new cars, carriages, and saddle horses. Siam had such beauty, Marie noted. Once the guests had left, Marie and her husband were included on hunts. After the coronation festival, there would be houseboat and a fleet of other boats which were providing provisions and servants. At each stop there shelters made of bamboo and palm leaves. Gently music would be playing by musicians and there crowds along the bank who had smiles. Gifts were given: a parrot, monkey, plumes of rare birds, fruit, silk pieces.
Once reached the sea, they traveled to camp with spacious tents that had many comforts. Each day, the men hunted. The sunsets were beautiful and the tropical nights were amazing. They visited known temples and Buddhas were in stone and gilded wood. They visited at different estates with remarkable luxury. The festival included a rice harvest, hunts, races of oxen, and cock fights. They enjoyed their visit for longer than a month. They then left for IndoChina. Her husband wanted to have a successful hunt there and she wanted to visit the ruins of Angkor. They had to travel by river as there no road between Saigon and Angkor. Her husband went with her to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. There Marie and her husband enjoyed the evening with King Sisowath. The next day, Marie’s husband left for Saigon to hunt with the Duke of Montpensier.
Marie went on a little river steamboat with Anna Hamilton, 2 or 3 Swedes, the Resident of Cambodia, and several others. The next day they left on a steamer and were crowded on large sampans. They went further where low water allowed. They then moved onto ox carts that either leap forward or bump en route to their destination. They went via streams, ravines, and rough country.
The many ruins had only partially evacuated and there were heavy vines along the way. There were statutes of the King and his wife lying in the grass and reflecting on the “glories” of the Khmer civilization there. (Page 145). They went on top of pagodas, upstairs and could see a distance. At night the natives created bonfires per the resident request. After 2 full days, they returned back to Saigon.
The Duke of Montpensier had organized a hunt with 10 days in wild country. (Page 145) They stayed in bamboo huts which were on piles to protect against the jungle animals. During the day, the hunt of wild buffalo took place.
Leaving Singapore, they left for Burma and then for Calcutta. In India, the Prince hunted and Marie was onto areas of her interest - Benares temples and the Ganges waters. She had seen an instance where family members of the deceased had hung their deceased above wood fires. She understood that once their deceased is in ashes, then, the ashes would be thrown into the river.
It took one month to cross India. (Page 146) There were many temples, mosques, monuments, along with lots of dust and heat in the process of their travel. From Bombay to Colombo where they stayed for several days. Kandy was cool and green (Page 146) Marie had enjoyed her independence and was thinking about her going back to her dull routine in Sweden.
When they arrived back at Oakhill, it was the end of April and the temperature was still cold. Her son had noticeably grown while they were away. Marie realized she was feeling “hostile" toward her husband and was not feeling joy. (Page 146) She was 22 years old and she started thinking about is this her future? Sweden still seemed “foreign to her.” (Page 147) She was feeling “restless and tormented.” She was alone and she was thinking can she solve the problems she was feeling. (Page 147)
In the Spring, the Olympic Games were held. Dmitri had been in with the horses and grooms. They had stayed at Oakhill. Dmitri made through without injury, unlike a companion of his. The Olympics lasted for 2 months with lots of informal festivities and parties. Once the Games had ended, she was feeling the emptiness again, as Dmitri returned back to Russia. Marie’s husband had left on a cruiser. She remained at Oakhill and had short visits away - one was to Stenhammer or visiting with her parents-in-law at their estate.
Marie and her son went to Paris in late Autumn to visit her father. Life had changed for her father. The Emperor had requested her father back to Russia for Dmitri’s Oath of Allegiance as he was joining a regiment. Her father was no longer banished from Russia and he was planning to build a home on the property of the Tsarskoie-Selo estate which was the Imperial residence. Her 1/2 brother had already been sent to St. Petersburg, as he was entering in the Ecole des Pages which was a military school.
When Marie was with her father, she started sharing her difficulties and he was firmly against her divorcing as she was “too young to be alone in the world.” (Page 148) Her stepmother had also agreed.