In brief
Queen Sirikit of Thailand has died at the age of 93 after a prolonged illness, announcing her passing in a Bangkok hospital. A beloved figure in Thailand, she was married to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej for over 66 years and was known for her contributions as a maternal symbol for the nation. A royal funeral will be organized as the family observes a year of mourning. Sirikit was also famous for her fashion sense, and her birthday has been celebrated as Mother's Day since 1976.
Queen Sirikit, the mother of Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn, has died aged 93. She passed away peacefully in a Bangkok hospital at 21:21 local time (14:21 GMT) on Friday, according to the Thai Royal Household Bureau.
Sirikit had suffered several illnesses while in hospital since 2019, including a blood infection in the month of her passing.
For more than six decades, Queen Sirikit was married to Thailand's longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016. In their globe-trotting heyday, she was celebrated as a style icon.
King Vajiralongkorn has ordered that the Thai Royal Household Bureau organize a royal funeral, the statement added. Queen Sirikit's body will lie in state at the Grand Palace's Dusit Thorne Hall in Bangkok. Members of the Thai royal family will observe a year of mourning.
Queen Sirikit met her future husband, King Bhumibol, while studying music in Paris, where her father was stationed as Thai ambassador to France.
During their early years, the couple traveled extensively and met globally recognized figures, helping to solidify Sirikit’s status as a fashion icon.
She was seen as a key maternal figure, with her birthday, 12 August, marked as Mother's Day in Thailand. Queen Sirikit's passing marks the end of an era for a figure who deeply inspired numerous Thais.
