Thailand is in mourning following the death of Queen Mother Sirikit, a royal icon whose grace, philanthropy, and at times controversial influence helped shape the country’s modern monarchy.
She passed away at the age of 93, the Thai Royal Household Bureau confirmed on Saturday. Sirikit had been largely absent from public life since suffering a stroke in 2012.
As the nation reflects on her seven-decade-long presence at the heart of its national life, a complex and multifaceted legacy emerges.
From ‘hate at first sight’ to a 70-year reign
Born in 1932 to a Thai ambassador, Sirikit Kitiyakara grew up in the privileged world of European diplomacy, studying music and languages in Paris.
It was there that she met her future husband, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Their first meeting was not auspicious.
(Image source: https://thailand.prd.go.th/)
“It was hate at first sight,” she would later recall in a BBC documentary, noting that the young king had arrived late. “Then it was love.”
They were married a year later, when Sirikit was just 17.
As queen consort, she stood beside Bhumibol for his entire 70-year reign, becoming a beloved figure through their extensive charitable work and high-profile international tours.
A global style icon with a purpose
Sirikit was renowned for her elegance and impeccable fashion sense.
During a landmark 1960 visit to the United States, Time magazine described her as “svelte” and “archfeminist.”
(Image source: https://thailand.prd.go.th/)
She famously collaborated with the French couturier Pierre Balmain, commissioning outfits made from traditional Thai silk.
The partnership was a stroke of genius, helping to revitalize the domestic silk industry and preserve traditional weaving techniques.
Her glamour always had a purpose.
For over four decades, she accompanied the king on televised visits to remote villages, promoting development projects for the rural poor and cementing her image as a compassionate, maternal figure.
Her birthday, August 12, was designated as Thailand’s official Mother’s Day in 1976.
A quiet but powerful political influence
While the Thai monarchy is officially above politics, Sirikit was not afraid to exercise her considerable influence at key moments.
In 1956, she served briefly as the nation’s regent.
Decades later, in 1998, she used her birthday address to urge the public to support the sitting prime minister, a move that successfully undermined an opposition effort to oust him.
She later became associated with the royalist “Yellow Shirt” protest movement, and in 2008, she attended the funeral of a protestor who had been killed in clashes with police, a powerful and public signal of royal backing for the movement.
An enduring and revered legacy
For many Thais, Queen Mother Sirikit will be remembered as a symbol of grace, national pride, and maternal virtue.
Her passing will be marked with deep reverence in a country where strict lese-majeste laws make any criticism of the monarchy, past or present, a serious criminal offense.
She leaves behind her son, the current King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and a legacy that is as complex as the modern nation she helped to shape.
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