Queen Sirikit, the mother of Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn, has died aged 93. She passed away 'peacefully' in a Bangkok hospital at 21:21 local time (14:21 GMT) on Friday, according to the Thai Royal Household Bureau.
Sirikit had 'suffered several illnesses' while in hospital since 2019, including a blood infection this month. For over six decades, she was married to Thailand's longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016. In her prime, she was viewed as a style icon.
King Vajiralongkorn has ordered that the Thai Royal Household Bureau organize a royal funeral, and her body will lie in state at the Grand Palace’s Dusit Thorne Hall in Bangkok. Members of the royal family will observe a year of mourning.
Queen Sirikit met her future husband King Bhumibol while studying music in Paris, where her father served as the Thai ambassador. She described it as 'hate at first sight' during a BBC documentary. The couple married on 28 April 1950, just days before King Bhumibol's coronation. Together, they graced many international stages, from meetings with world leaders to being featured in best-dressed lists throughout the 1960s.
As a significant maternal figure for the nation, her birthday, celebrated as Mother's Day since 1976, stands as a testament to her enduring legacy. Following a stroke in 2012, she had rarely been seen in public, but her influence remained strong, symbolizing a bond with the Thai populace that continues to this day.
