BANGKOK — Queen Sirikit, the mother of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and one of the nation’s most enduring royal figures, died peacefully at age 93 on Friday evening in a Bangkok hospital, the Royal Household Bureau announced. The palace said she had “suffered several illnesses” since being admitted in 2019, including a recent blood infection.
A Symbol of Grace and Continuity
For more than six decades, Queen Sirikit was married to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Thailand’s longest-reigning monarch, who died in 2016. Their union, beginning in 1950, came to symbolize both modernity and tradition within Thailand’s constitutional monarchy. The Queen’s state funeral will be held at the Grand Palace’s Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall, where her body will lie in state. The royal family will observe a year of mourning.
King Vajiralongkorn has ordered full royal honors for his mother, whom many Thais affectionately called “Mae Luang,” or the Great Mother. Her birthday, August 12, has been celebrated as Thailand’s Mother’s Day since 1976, marking her long-standing role as a maternal symbol of national unity.
Queen Sirikit married the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1950
A Life Interwoven with the Nation’s Modern History
Born in 1932, Sirikit Kitiyakara met King Bhumibol while studying in Paris, where her father served as ambassador. Their courtship, as she once recalled with humor in a 1980 BBC documentary, began with “hate at first sight” when the young prince arrived hours late to their meeting. They married on April 28, 1950, a week before his coronation.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Queen Sirikit’s international travels placed her alongside global leaders and cultural icons — from U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Elvis Presley. She became renowned for her elegance, regularly appearing on international best-dressed lists, and was instrumental in promoting Thai silk and craftsmanship abroad.
Years of Ill Health and Final Farewell
After suffering a stroke in 2012, Queen Sirikit largely withdrew from public life. Her last major public appearance came in 2008, when she attended the funeral of an anti-government protester killed in political unrest — a rare and symbolic gesture in a divided nation.
Reactions Across Thailand and the World
Expressions of grief and remembrance have poured in from across Thailand, where mourning ceremonies began at temples nationwide. Flags were lowered to half-staff, and the government announced a national period of mourning.
International leaders, including the governments of Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, issued condolences, praising Queen Sirikit’s diplomatic grace and her lifelong dedication to charitable causes. UNESCO officials, who previously honored her conservation and cultural initiatives, called her “a champion of Thai heritage and women’s empowerment.”
Queen Sirikit is survived by her son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and her three daughters — Princesses Ubolratana, Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and Chulabhorn. (zai)
Photo: Reuters