Sirikit (born ''

Mom Rajawongse The precedence of Thai royalty follows a system of ranks known as ''thanandon'' (), which are accompanied by royal titles. The Sovereign There are two styles which can be used for a king in ordinary speech, depending on whether he has been crow ...

'' Sirikit Kitiyakara; 12 August 1932) is a member of the Thai royal family who was Queen of Thailand from 28 April 1950 to 13 October 2016 as the wife of King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any List of Thai mo ...

(Rama IX). She is the mother of King

Vajiralongkorn Vajiralongkorn (born 28 July 1952) is King of Thailand. He is the tenth Thai monarch of the Chakri dynasty since ascending the throne in 2016 with the regnal name Rama X. The only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirik ...

(Rama X). She met Bhumibol in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, where her father was Thai ambassador. They married in 1950, shortly before Bhumibol's coronation. Sirikit was appointed queen regent in 1956, when the king entered the Buddhist monkhood for a period of time. Sirikit has four children with the king. Consort of the monarch who was, at the time the world's longest-reigning head of state, she was also the world's longest-serving queen consort. Sirikit suffered a stroke in 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, and

Mom Luang The precedence of Thai royalty follows a system of ranks known as ''thanandon'' (), which are accompanied by royal titles. The Sovereign There are two styles which can be used for a king in ordinary speech, depending on whether he has been crow ...

Bua Snidvongs (1909–1999). Her name, which was given by Queen Rambai Barni, means "the greatness of Kitiyakara". She had three siblings, two elder brothers and a younger sister: * Prince Kalyanakit Kitiyakara, (20 September 1929 – 15 May 1987) * Prince Adulakit Kitiyakara (2 November 1930 – 5 May 2004) * Princess Busba Kitiyakara (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 River 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. Etymology Written evidence of the river being referred to by the ...

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 estim ...

. 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 (, ), also known as Singgora or Singora (Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Pattani Malay: ซิงกอรอ, Singoro), is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. Songkhla lies ...

Education

At age four, Sirikit attended the Kindergarten College at Rajini School (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 or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

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 serves as the official royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The court formally receives all ambassadors accredited to the United Kingdom. Likewise, ambassadors representing the United Kingdom are formally ...

, 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 Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

and France. While in France, she studied at a music academy in Paris. Also in France, Sirikit met King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was related to her, since both were descendants of King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his death in 1910 was cha ...

(Rama V). At that time, Bhumibol had ascended to the throne and was studying in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. 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 on the

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

Lausanne Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...

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. 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. The royal pair had four children, through whom they had twelve grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Establishment of the Queen

The marriage took place at Srapathum Palace. 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 Order of the Royal House of Chakri, and became queen. After the coronation ceremony 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 Regent of Thailand () is a person who exercises the official functions of a monarch of Thailand when the monarch is incapable of functioning or during a period of interregnum. Appointment By Old Royal Customs Ancient custom dictates that the Hei ...

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

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, where King Bhumibol Adulyadej resided. After performing

magnetic resonance imaging Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and ...

, a team of physicians determined that she had suffered an

ischemic stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to a part of 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 ...

. 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 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 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. She has also 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 honoured the queen by declaring her birthday a national holiday. The Queen's birthday is celebrated on 12 August each year.

Volunteer Defence Corps of Thailand Rank

* Volunteer Defence Corps General

Foreign honours

*: Grand Cross, Special Class of the Order of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria *: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold I *: Dame of the Order of Laila Utama *: Knight of the

Order of the Elephant The Order of the Elephant () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional monarchy in ...

* Ethiopian Imperial Family: Dame Grand Cordon with Collar of the Imperial Order of the Queen of Sheba *: Grand Cross, Special Class of the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...

Greek Royal Family The Greek royal family () was the ruling family of the Kingdom of Greece from 1863 to 1924 and again from 1935 to 1973. The Greek royal family is a branch of the Danish royal family, itself a cadet branch of the House of Glücksburg. The famil ...

: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Beneficence *: Star of Mahaputera, 1st Class * Iranian Imperial Family: Dame Grand Cordon, Special Class of the Imperial Order of the Pleiades *: Grand Cross of the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...

*: Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown *

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

** Lao Royal Family: Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol **: Medal of Phoxay Lane Xang *: Dame of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau *: Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of the Realm **: First Class of the

Royal Family Order of Selangor The Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Selangor (Malay language, Malay: ''Darjah Kerabat Selangor Yang Amat Dihormati'') is an Order (distinction), order awarded by Sultan of Selangor to members of the Selangor and other Royal families, and to h ...

**: First Class of the Family Order of Terengganu **: Recipient of the Royal Family Order of Kelantan *: Member Grand Cross of the Order of Honour *: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands *: Dame Grand Cross of the

Order of Saint Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav. Just be ...

*: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Golden Heart *: Grand Cross of the Order of Saint James of the Sword *: Grand Cross of the

Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the Order of Michael the Brave. It is the oldest Order of Romania. It is awarded by the Preside ...

* : **Dame Grand Cross of the

Order of Charles III The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III (, originally ; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OC3) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bes ...

(13 November 1987) **Dame Grand Cross of the

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OYC) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bestowed by the Kingdom of Spain, alongside the Order of Charles III (established in 1771) and ...

(3 November 1960) *: Member Grand Cross of the

Order of the Seraphim The Royal Order of the Seraphim (; ''Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is the highest order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Sweden. It was created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the ...

*: Grand Cross of the Order of Propitious Clouds (1963)

Styles and Symbols

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, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

and

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

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 in

* the

Queen Sirikit Park file:Place ParkQueenSirikit.jpg, 250px, Queen Sirikit Park Queen Sirikit Park is a botanical garden in Chatuchak (district), Chatuchak District, Bangkok, Thailand. Covering an area of 0.22 km2, it is part of the larger Chatuchak Park comple ...

in Bangkok * the Sirikit Dam on the Nan River, Uttaradit Province * the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden,

Chiang Mai Province Chiang Mai is the largest Provinces of Thailand, province (''changwat'') of Thailand by area. It lies in Northern Thailand#Regional classification of northern Thailand, upper northern Thailand and has a population of 1.78 million people. It ...

* the Queen Sirikit Arboretum Garden, Pathum Thani Province * the Queen Sirikit Cup, an annual Asian-Pacific golfing event * the Queen Sirikit Crab (''Thaiphusa sirikit'') * the Queen Sirikit Rose * the Queen's Cup, 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'', one of the most lavish and expensive Thai movies ever made..

Genealogical table

Notes

References

External links

, - {{Authority control 1932 births Living people 20th-century Thai women 20th-century Chakri dynasty 21st-century Thai women 21st-century Thai people 21st-century Chakri dynasty Queens consort of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej Kitiyakara family Mahidol family Regents of Thailand 20th-century women regents 20th-century regents Field marshals of Thailand Marshals of the Royal Thai Air Force 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 Recipients of the Grand Order of Mugunghwa 20th-century rulers in Asia Thai anti-communists Thai queen mothers