Queen Sirikit dies in Thailand at the age of 93
26 October 02:05
Queen Sirikit, the mother of Thailand’s monarch Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X), died at the age of 94.
This was announced on Saturday, October 25, by the Royal Court Bureau, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The Queen Consort was married to former monarch Bhumibol Adulyadej for 66 years.
In the 1960s, Sirikit was compared in the Western media to US First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy for her elegance. In Thailand, she was revered as the “mother of the nation,” AFP reported.
The monarch died in the evening of October 24 in a hospital. Sirikit has not appeared in public since 2012, when she suffered a stroke, Reuters reminded. In 2019, she was hospitalized and under medical supervision for a number of illnesses, and on October 17, she developed a bloodstream infection.
King Vachiralongkorn has instructed members of the royal family and government officials to observe the taurus for one year. Flags on government buildings will be at half-mast for 30 days.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Anuthin Shanwirakun canceled his visit to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26-28. The Prime Minister will still fly to Malaysia on October 26 to sign a ceasefire agreement with Cambodia, but will return to Thailand afterwards.
The Queen Mother’s body will be put on display at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
Sirikit’s husband is Thailand’s longest reigning monarch, having been crowned in 1950. The Queen Consort supported him in this mission and was popular with her countrymen because she was actively involved in charity work. During her visits abroad, she captivated the world media with her beauty and sense of style.
