Background
His mother was Yuan"s original wife, Yu (于氏), and Yuan Kewen was his younger brother. In his childhood, Yuan followed his father to many places when he served in various positions in Qing Dynasty.
袁克定, 云台
His mother was Yuan"s original wife, Yu (于氏), and Yuan Kewen was his younger brother. In his childhood, Yuan followed his father to many places when he served in various positions in Qing Dynasty.
He studied in Germany and spoke fluent German and English.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, he served as a low-rank official in the government. According to the History of Xinhai Revolution, Yuan and Wang swore to be "brothers of different surnames" in front of Yuan Shikai. In 1915, Yuan became crown prince as the Prince Yuntai, When his father Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself Emperor of the Empire of China.
After the death of his father, Yuan lived reclusively in the German concession in Tianjin.
In 1935, he moved to Baochao Lane (宝钞胡同) in Beijing. In 1937, he again relocated to Qinghuaxuan Villa in the Summer Palace.
During the Sino-Japanese War, Yuan refused to cooperate with the Japanese army and his life became impoverished. Thanks to the help of Zhang Shizhao, after 1949, Yuan became a fellow of the Central Research Institute of Culture and History, and thus had a steady income.
He died in 1958 of illness.
Yuan had three children.