Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born ''
Mom Rajawongse
The precedence of Thai royalty follows a system of ranks known as ''thanandon'' ( th, ฐานันดร), which are accompanied by royal titles.
The Sovereign
There are two styles which can be used for a king in ordinary speech, depending on ...
'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the
queen mother
A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also used to describe a number of ...
of
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. She was
Queen of Thailand as the wife of
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...
(or
King Rama IX) and is the mother of the current King
Vajiralongkorn
Vajiralongkorn ( th, วชิราลงกรณ; , ; born 28 July 1952) is the King of Thailand. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his ...
(or King Rama X). She met Bhumibol in Paris, where her father was Thai ambassador. They married in 1950, shortly before Bhumibol's coronation. Sirikit was appointed
queen regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...
in 1956, when the king entered the Buddhist monkhood for a period of time. Sirikit has one son and three daughters with the king. Consort of the monarch who was the
world's longest-reigning head of state, she was also the world's longest-serving queen consort. Sirikit suffered a stroke on 21 July 2012 and has since refrained from public appearances.
Early life and family
Sirikit was born on 12 August 1932, at the home of Lord Vongsanuprabhand, her maternal grandfather. She is the eldest daughter and the third child of Prince
Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara, the son of Prince
Kitiyakara Voralaksana
Kitiyakara Voralaksana, 1st Prince of Chanthaburi ( th, กิติยากรวรลักษณ์; ; 8 June 1874 – 27 May 1931) was a Prince of Siam, a member of the Siamese Royal Family (later Thailand). He originated the House of Kiti ...
, and
Mom Luang
The precedence of Thai royalty follows a system of ranks known as ''thanandon'' ( th, ฐานันดร), which are accompanied by royal titles.
The Sovereign
There are two styles which can be used for a king in ordinary speech, depending on ...
Bua Snidvongs (1909–1999). Her name, which was given by Queen
Rambai Barni
Queen Rambai Barni ( th, รำไพพรรณี, , ), formerly Princess Rambai Barni Svastivatana ( th, รำไพพรรณี สวัสดิวัตน์, ; born 20 December 1904 – 22 May 1984), was the wife and queen con ...
, means "the greatness of Kitiyakara".
She had three siblings, two elder brothers and a younger sister:
* Mom Rajawongse
Kalyanakit Kitiyakara
Mom Rajawongse Kalyanakit Kitiyakara ( th, กัลยาณกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 1929 - 1987) was a Thai cardiothoracic surgeonAdulakit Kitiyakara
''Mom Rajawongse'' Adulakit Kitiyakara ( th, อดุลกิติ์ กิติยากร; : November 2, 1930 – May 5, 2004), was the chief-president of the supreme judicature of Thailand, and former member of the Privy Council of T ...
(2 November 1930 – 5 May 2004)
* Mom Rajawongse
Busba Kitiyakara
''Than Phu Ying'' Busba Kitiyakara Sathanapong ( th, บุษบา กิติยากร สธนพงศ์; , born 2 August 1934) is the daughter of Mom Chao Nakkhatra Mangala Kitiyakara and younger sister of Thailand's Queen Mother Siri ...
(born 2 August 1934)
Sirikit was raised by her maternal grandparents for a year after her birth, since her father was in the United States to work as the secretary of the Siamese Embassy at Washington, D.C. Her mother joined her husband three months later. When she was one year old, her parents returned to Thailand. Sirikit lived together with her family in
Deves Palace, near the
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand.
Et ...
,
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
.
As a child, Sirikit often visited her paternal grandmother. Once in 1933, she travelled with Princess
Absornsaman Devakula following King Prajadhipok's tour in
Songkhla
Songkhla ( th, สงขลา, ), also known as Singgora or Singora (Pattani Malay: ซิงกอรอ), is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. Songkhla lies south of Ba ...
.
Education
At age four, Sirikit attended the Kindergarten College at
Rajini School
Rajini School ( th, โรงเรียนราชินี, , lit. "Queen's School") is a private girls' school in Thailand, and one of the oldest in the country. It was founded in 1904 by Queen Saovabha Phongsri as a replacement for the recen ...
(sometimes called the Queen's College), where she studied at the primary level. During that time the
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
was being fought. Bangkok was bombed many times, especially the rail lines, making travel unsafe. She therefore moved to
Saint Francis Xavier Convent School, since it was near the palace. She studied at Saint Francis Xavier from her second primary year through the early secondary level.
In 1946, with the war now over, her father moved to the United Kingdom as the ambassador to the
Court of St James's
The Court of St James's is the royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. All ambassadors to the United Kingdom are formally received by the court. All ambassadors from the United Kingdom are formally accredited from the court – & ...
, taking his family with him. Sirikit was then 13 and completed her secondary education. While in England she learned to play the piano and became fluent in English and French. Because of her father's work as a diplomat, the family moved to other countries, including
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
and France. While in France, she studied at a music academy in Paris.
Also in France, Sirikit met
King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...
, who was related to her, since both were descendants of King
Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร ...
(Rama V). At that time, Bhumibol had ascended to the throne and was studying in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. Bhumibol and Sirikit (as well as a few other students) were staying at the Royal Thai Embassy in Paris. Sirikit accompanied the king as he visited various tourist attractions, and they found that they had much in common.
Marriage
On 4 October 1948, while Bhumibol was driving a
Fiat Topolino
Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
on the
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
-
Lausanne
, neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...
road, he collided into the rear of a braking truck 10 km outside of Lausanne. He injured his back and incurred cuts on his face that cost him most of the sight in one eye.
[Handley, Paul M. (2006)]
''The King Never Smiles: A Biography of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej''
pp. 103–4. Yale University Press. He subsequently wore an
ocular prosthetic
An ocular prosthesis, artificial eye or glass eye is a type of craniofacial prosthesis that replaces an absent natural human eye, eye following an enucleation of the eye, enucleation, Evisceration (ophthalmology), evisceration, or orbital exente ...
. While he was hospitalised in Lausanne, Sirikit visited him frequently. She met his mother,
The Princess Mother Sangwan, who asked her to continue her studies nearby so that the king could get to know her better. Bhumibol selected a boarding school for her in Lausanne, Riante Rive. A quiet engagement in Lausanne followed on 19 July 1949,
[ and the couple married on 28 April 1950, just a week before his coronation.
]
Establishment of the Queen
The marriage took place at Srapathum Palace
Sa Pathum Palace ( th, วังสระปทุม, ) is a royal residence in Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, Thailand. It has been a residence of the Thai Royal Family, especially the House of Mahidol, since the 19th century, and is the official ...
. Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Grandmother presided over the marriage ceremony. Both the king and Sirikit signed on line 11 of their certificate of marriage. As she was not yet 18, her parents also signed, on line 12 directly under her signature. She later received the , and became queen. After the coronation ceremony
A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...
on 5 May 1950, both went back to Switzerland to continue their studies, and returned to Bangkok in 1952.
Issue
Regency
When the king undertook the traditional period as a Buddhist monk in 1956, Queen Sirikit acted as regent. She performed her duties so well that she was officially named the Regent of Thailand
In Thailand, the regent ( th, ผู้สำเร็จราชการแทนพระองค์) is a person who exercises the official functions of a monarch of Thailand when the monarch is incapable of functioning or during a period ...
and the King gave her the title 'Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat' on his birthday, 5 December 1956. She became the second Siamese queen regent in Thai history. The first was Queen Saovabha Phongsri of Siam, who served as regent when her husband King Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร ...
travelled to Europe, and later became Queen Sri Patcharindra.
Health
At dawn on 21 July 2012, Queen Sirikit felt unsteady and staggered while exercising at Siriraj Hospital
Siriraj Hospital ( th, โรงพยาบาลศิริราช; ) is the oldest and largest hospital in Thailand. It is in Bangkok on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus. It is the ...
, where King Bhumibol Adulyadej resided. After performing magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio wave ...
, a team of physicians determined that she had suffered an ischemic stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
.
The queen was treated and has refrained from public appearances since, including the grand audience granted by her husband on his 85th birthday from the Ananta Samakhom Hall on 5 December 2012.
On 29 November 2016, the palace announced that the queen had been discharged from the hospital and has returned to the Chitralada Royal Villa
Chitralada Royal Villa ( th, พระตำหนักจิตรลดารโหฐาน; ) is a royal villa located within Dusit Palace. This villa was permanent-residence of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), the longest-serving monarch o ...
due to her recovery.
Cultural status
Queen Sirikit's birthday, like the king's, is a national holiday, and is also Mothers' Day in Thailand. She is particularly revered in the more remote and traditional parts of the country, where the monarchy is regarded as semi-divine. Her work in promoting tolerance and understanding for the Muslim minorities in the southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat
Narathiwat ( th, นราธิวาส, ) is a town (thesaban mueang) in southern Thailand and capital of Narathiwat Province. The town is in the Mueang Narathiwat District and was established in 1936. As of 2008, the population was 40,521. ...
have made her especially popular amongst Thai Muslims. The queen has a strong bond with southern Thailand, and she formerly spent months in the Muslim-majority provinces every year. She is considered to be one of the more quiet diplomats.
Books and writing
Queen Sirikit published ''In Memory of my European Trip'' in 1964, which described her time in Europe with the king. It was this book that revealed that she was a talented writer. Moreover, she has composed songs for performance by The Handsome Band, the band of the palace.
The songs she composed were:
* Chao Chom Khwan (เจ้าจอมขวัญ)
* That Thoe (ทาสเธอ)
* Sai Yut (สายหยุด)
* Nang Yaem (นางแย้ม)
Honours and awards
In 1976, the Thai government honored the queen by declaring her birthday a national holiday. The Queen's birthday is celebrated on 12 August each year.
Volunteer Defense Corps of Thailand Rank
* Volunteer Defense Corps General
Foreign honours
* :
**
Grand Cross of The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking ...
* :
**
Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...
(3 November 1960)
**
Dame Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III
The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III ( es, Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III, originally es, Real y Muy Distinguida Orden de Carlos III) was establ ...
(13 November 1987)
* :
**
Special Grand Cordon of the Order of Propitious Clouds
The Order of Propitious Clouds () is a civilian order of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The center of the medal features a picture of clouds, as a token of auspiciousness. This order was instituted in 1941 and classified into nine ranks. As with ...
(1963)
* :
**
Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
The Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (german: Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria. It is divided into 15 classes and is the highest award in the A ...
Eponyms
Queen Sirikit is well known for her charitable work, where she is the honorary president of the Thai Red Cross, a post she has held since 1956. She gained new prominence in this role in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in southern Thailand in December 2004. She has also been active in relief work for the many refugees from Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
and Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
in Thailand.
Many things in Thailand have been named after the Queen:
* the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, children's hospital
* the Queen Sirikit Medical Center building, Ramathibodi Hospital
* the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer, a new 10-storey hospital in Bangkok
* the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center
Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) (Thai: ศูนย์การประชุมแห่งชาติสิริกิติ์) or also known simply as Queen Sirikit Convention Center, is a convention center and exhibition ha ...
in Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
* the Queen Sirikit Park
250px, Queen Sirikit Park
Queen Sirikit Park is a botanical garden in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, Thailand. Covering an area of 0.22 km2, it is part of the larger Chatuchak Park complex. It was established in 1992 and named after Sirikit ...
in Bangkok
* the Sirikit Dam
Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the queen mother of Thailand. She was Queen of Thailand as the wif ...
on the Nan River
The Nan River ( th, แม่น้ำน่าน, , ) is a river in Thailand. It is one of the most important tributaries of the Chao Phraya River.
Geography
The Nan River originates in the Luang Prabang Range, Nan Province. The provinces ...
, Uttaradit Province
* the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden
Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden (QSBG) is a botanical garden in Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. It was opened in 1993 and is maintained under the auspices of the Botanical Garden Organization (BGO) of the Ministry of Natural Resour ...
, Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai ( th, เชียงใหม่, ; nod, , ) is the largest Province (''changwat'') of Thailand. It lies in upper northern Thailand and has a population of 1.78 million people. It is bordered by Chiang Rai to the northeast, Lam ...
* the Queen Sirikit Arboretum Garden, Pathum Thani Province
* the Queen Sirikit Cup
The Queen Sirikit Cup, officially the Asia-Pacific Amateur Ladies Golf Team Championship, is an annual amateur team golf championship for women organised by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation. The inaugural event was held in 1979. The event is na ...
, an annual Asian-Pacific golfing event
* the Queen Sirikit Crab (''Thaiphusa sirikit'')
* the Queen Sirikit Rose
* the Queen's Cup
The Queen's Cup was an annual football cup competition in Thailand, run by the Football Association of Thailand. The competition was named after Queen Sirikit.
It was first contested in 1970, with Bangkok Bank and Royal Thai Air Force joint win ...
, annual football competition
The queen is also active in promoting Thai culture and history, mainly through her initiative in the making of the Thai movie ''The Legend of Suriyothai
''The Legend of Suriyothai'' ( th, สุริโยไท, italics=yes) is a 2001 Thai film directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol, which portrays the life of Queen Suriyothai, who is regarded by Thai people as the "great feminist". It records the c ...
'', one of the most lavish and expensive Thai movies ever made.[.]
Ancestry
See also
* List of covers of Time magazine (1960s)
This is a list of people and other topics appearing on the cover of ''Time'' magazine in the 1960s. ''Time'' was first published in 1923. As ''Time'' became established as one of the United States' leading news magazines, an appearance on the co ...
References
External links
, -
{{Authority control
1932 births
Living people
20th-century Thai women
20th-century Chakri dynasty
21st-century Thai women
21st-century Chakri dynasty
Thai queens consort
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Kitiyakara family
Mahidol family
Regents of Thailand
20th-century women rulers
Field marshals of Thailand
Marshals of the Royal Thai Air Force
People from Bangkok
Centro Escolar University alumni
Network monarchy
Order of Chula Chom Klao
Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the Direkgunabhorn
Recipients of the Dushdi Mala Medal, Pin of Arts and Science
Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown
Recipients of the Grand Decoration with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria
Dames Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Grand Crosses of the Order of Beneficence (Greece)
Recipients of the Order of Propitious Clouds
20th-century rulers in Asia
Queen mothers