Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit has passed away at the age of 93, according to an announcement from the Royal Family Bureau on Saturday. Known for her elegance during the monarchy’s post-war revival, she occasionally engaged in politics in her later years.
She had been absent from public life since suffering a stroke in 2012. The palace revealed that she had been hospitalized for various ailments since 2019 and developed a bloodstream infection on October 17, leading to her death late Friday.
A year-long mourning period has been declared for the royal family, while public offices will lower flags to half-mast for a month as part of this observance. Officials have been asked to adhere to a year of mourning.
Following her passing, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul canceled his plans to attend the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. He stated he would travel to Malaysia on Sunday to sign a cease-fire agreement with Cambodia before returning home.
A style icon that captivated the world
Sirikit was frequently by the side of her husband, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the longest-reigning monarch in Thailand, who ruled for 70 years from 1946. She earned widespread admiration for her philanthropic endeavors.
Even during her travels abroad, she garnered attention for her striking beauty and fashion sense. During a 1960 visit to the United States, Time magazine hailed her as “sophisticated” and “a supreme feminist,” while a French newspaper referred to her as “fascinating.”
Born in 1932 as the daughter of the Thai ambassador to France, she grew up during Thailand’s transition to a constitutional monarchy. While studying in Paris, she met King Bhumibol, who had spent part of his childhood in Switzerland. She noted in a BBC documentary that her initial impression was somewhat negative—he arrived late to their first meeting—but it blossomed into love.
They spent time together in Paris and became engaged in 1949, marrying a year later in Thailand when she was just 17 years old.
Notably stylish, Sirikit collaborated with French designer Pierre Balmain to create a memorable outfit made from Thai silk. Her support helped revitalize Thailand’s silk industry and promote traditional textile preservation.
Champion of rural development
Throughout her marriage, Sirikit often traveled with the King to rural areas, advocating for development initiatives aimed at assisting the impoverished. Their work was frequently showcased in the Royal Gazette.
She was briefly a regent in 1956 when King Bhumibol spent two weeks at a temple as part of the Buddhist monk ordination—a rite of passage in Thailand.
August 12, her birthday, was declared Mother’s Day and a national holiday in Thailand in 1976.
Her only son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, now reigns as King Rama.
While the monarchy traditionally remains above politics in Thailand, there have been instances where royal family members, including Sirikit, intervened in political affairs. For example, during her 1998 birthday speech, she called for unity among Thais, which critically impacted opposition efforts against then-Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai.
She became linked to the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a royalist political group whose actions contributed to the downfall of the government associated with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Many Thais will remember her as a symbol of philanthropy and maternal devotion. Her death will be treated with great respect in a nation where lese majeste laws are rigorously enforced, preventing criticism of the royal family.
The government has requested that private sector celebrations be modified to align with the mourning period. Notably, the K-pop group Blackpink, featuring a Thai member, will go on with their concert over the weekend, requesting attendees dress in black and white to show respect.
On Saturday, mourners dressed in black gathered outside Chulalongkorn Hospital, where Sirikit passed away. One Bangkok resident, 67-year-old Manenat Raowarat, expressed, “When I heard this news, my world stopped and I remembered all the things Her Majesty the Queen has done for us.”
Sirikit is survived by her son, the King, and three daughters.
