Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit, mother of the reigning King Maha Vajiralongkorn and wife of the country’s longest-serving monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, passed away late Friday at the age of 93, according to an official palace statement.
Revered as a national mother figure, Queen Sirikit was deeply admired across Thailand, where the royal family is regarded with near-divine respect.
Portraits of the late queen and her husband adorn countless public spaces and homes across the nation.
During her 66-year marriage to King Bhumibol, Sirikit earned international recognition as both a fashion icon and a symbol of grace and compassion.
Western media outlets once compared her elegance and influence to that of former US First Lady Jackie Kennedy.
“I knew she had been unwell for a long time, but it’s still heartbreaking,” said Bangkok resident Sasis Putthasit, 53. “She was like a mother to all Thais.”
According to the palace, Queen Sirikit had been suffering from multiple health issues since 2019 and was recently treated for a blood infection before her condition deteriorated. She passed away at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok.
King Vajiralongkorn has declared a year-long period of mourning, with royal family members leading tributes to the late queen.
On Saturday morning, television anchors and government officials were seen wearing black, marking the beginning of the nation’s mourning period.
Her passing “marks a profoundly significant event for the Thai Royal Family and the entire nation, given her immense popularity and deep connection to the late king who remains deeply revered”, Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a former Thai diplomat and academic who studies the monarchy, told AFP.
Mother of the Nation
King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s remarkably lengthy reign from 1946 until 2016 was bookended by World War II and the first inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
Though Bhumibol’s son inherited the throne about nine years ago, many still revere him as the nation’s most steadfast figurehead — and Sirikit as his constant companion.
She retired from the public eye in recent years as she suffered from ailing health, her privacy sealed by strict lese majeste laws that limit what can be reported about the royal family.
But in her glamorous heyday in the 1960s she mingled with US presidents and superstars such as Elvis Presley, while at home touring Thailand to visit villagers in rural areas.
She was referred to as the “Mother of the Nation” and her birthday was designated the country’s Mothers’ Day.
The reigning Chakri dynasty dates back to 1782 but the succession from King Vajiralongkorn is unclear as he has not formally named an heir.
He has seven children including five sons four from an earlier marriage who have been officially disowned, and his 20-year-old son Dipangkorn Rasmijoti.
While the royal family is still held in very high regard by most Thais, it faced unprecedented public dissent during street protests in 2020.
Tens of thousands of young protesters took to the streets demanding widespread political reforms including changes to the monarchy a public challenge to the royals’ status never seen in Thailand before.
Though Thailand’s constitution places the monarchy above politics, Sirikit drew public attention when she attended the funeral of a royalist protester in 2008.
When her husband King Bhumibol died, Thailand observed a year-long mourning period.
Authorities ordered flags to fly at half-mast for 30 days, banned weddings and concerts, and instructed citizens to wear black.
Former Queen Sirikit’s body will lie in state at the Grand Palace’s Dusit Thorne Hall in the capital Bangkok, according to the palace.
