Who Was Sirikit? Thailand’s Queen Mother, Known for Helping Poor, Dies at 93

Queen Mother Sirikit passed away at the age of 93. People of Thailand mourned the death of the royal woman who helped the country's poor people. The Thai Royal Household Bureau confirmed the death of its Queen Mother. Sirikit passed away at 9.21 pm on Friday, October 24. 

Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, Majesty the King in Thailand, announced a one-year mooring period for members of the royal family and the royal household.

Sirikit was not seen in the public royal events due to her illness after she suffered a stroke in 2012. She had suffered several illnesses while being in hospital since 2019, including a blood infection in October this year. King Vajiralongkorn has ordered the Thai Royal Household Bureau to organise a royal funeral, according to the Thai Royal Household Bureau.

Who Was Sirikit?

Sirikit was born in 1932, in the year when Thailand transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one. Sirkit Kitiyakara was the daughter of the Thai ambassador to France. She grew up in a luxury lifestyle. She studied music and languages in Paris. 

Queen Sirikit was married to Thailand's longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016. Adulyadej had spent part of his childhood in Switzerland. In the BCC documentary, she recalled her earlier moment when she first met Adulyadej. She said, "It was hate at first sight".

"Then it was love," she said, after which the couple got engaged in 1949 and married a year later when Sirikit was just 17 years old. 

Also Read | Howard University Shooting: At Least 4 People Shot During Homecoming Weekend in Washington DC; Suspect Detained.

Sirikit was renowned for her elegance and fashion sense. During a 1960 visit to the United States, including a state dinner at the White House, Time magazine described her as “svelte” and “archfeminist,” while the French daily L’Aurore called her “ravishing.”

Meanwhile, King Vajiralongkorn has ordered the Thai Royal Household Bureau to organise a royal funeral. Queen Sirikit's body will lie in state at the Grand Palace's Dusit Thorne Hall in Bangkok. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has cancelled his trip to a South East Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Malaysia due to Queen Sirikit's death.