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The Life of Emperor Bao Dai and the Mysterious Connection Associated with the Number… 13

Bảo Đại was the last emperor of the feudal dynasties in Vietnam. His life is filled with peculiarities, all of which are strangely linked to the number 13.

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10 January, 2024

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Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thụy, also known as Emperor Bảo Đại, was the last ruler of the Nguyễn dynasty in Vietnam. He abdicated in 1945 following the success of the August Revolution, marking the end of the monarchy in Vietnam. He passed away in France in 1997.

In addition to his role as the last emperor, Bảo Đại is best known for his lavish lifestyle and romantic relationships with many beautiful women. Furthermore, his close connection with the number 13 is often mentioned when discussing his life.

Bảo Đại’s given name was Nguyễn Vĩnh Thụy, born on October 22, 1913, the only prince of King Khải Định and Queen Đức Từ Cung.
Bảo Đại ascended to the throne at the age of 13 on January 8, 1926.
Bảo Đại became the 13th ruler of the Nguyễn dynasty: (Gia Long, Minh Mạng, Thiệu Trị, Tự Đức, Dục Đức, Hiệp Hòa, Kiến Phúc, Hàm Nghi, Đồng Khánh, Thành Thái, Duy Tân, Khải Định, Bảo Đại)
Bảo Đại reigned for 13 years: He was proclaimed emperor when he returned from studying abroad in France after the death of his father in November 1925. On January 8, 1926, he was officially crowned as Bảo Đại. Afterwards, he returned to France to continue his studies. In 1932, he completed his education and returned to Vietnam to officially assume the throne. In 1945, he abdicated to support the August Revolution. Counting from 1932 when he returned to Vietnam and assumed the throne, his reign lasted for 13 years. He experienced two significant historical turning points: the revolution in 1945 and the downfall of Ngô Đình Diệm in 1954, but he was not killed.
Bảo Đại had 13 recognized children: He was the only king of the Nguyễn dynasty who did not have a royal court. One of the conditions set by Queen Nam Phương for accepting the marriage proposal was that the king had to agree to practice “one wife, one husband”.

However, due to his playboy nature, he had many mistresses, including 2 women who were well-known as consorts – Phi Ánh and Mộng Điệp. After Queen Nam Phương passed away, Bảo Đại, despite having many other women, only officially married Monique Marie Eugene Baudot, a French woman, in 1982.

Until now, there are 13 known children of Emperor Bảo Đại, including 5 legitimate children born to Queen Nam Phương. The children from extramarital affairs include those with Mộng Điệp (2 sons, 1 daughter), Phi Ánh (1 son, 1 daughter), Hoàng Tiểu Lan – a Chinese woman (1 daughter), Vicky – a French woman (1 daughter), and another child whose mother is unknown. Furthermore, Consort Mộng Điệp revealed that in the royal family records kept by Từ Cung, there is information about another child, but the mother’s identity is not recorded.

He was buried precisely at 13:00 on August 6, 1997, after waiting for the rain to stop and bailing out all the water from the grave.

Another interesting fact is that Emperor Bảo Đại’s Rolex Reference 6062 watch broke the record as the most valuable Rolex in the world at an auction in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 13, 2017. It was sold for 5,066 million USD, equivalent to 113 billion Vietnamese dong at that time.