Former Queen Sirikit of Thailand, mother of current King Vajiralongkorn and wife of the country’s longest-reigning monarch, died Friday night at the age of 93, the palace said.
The royal family is revered in Thailand, treated by many as semi-divine figures and lavished with glossy media coverage and gold-adorned portraits hanging in public spaces and private homes across the country.
Throughout her 66-year marriage to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Sirikit built a dual reputation as a fashionista and caring matriarch of the nation: some Western media featured her on magazine covers and compared her to former American first lady Jackie Kennedy.
“I had heard that he was not well, and since he was over 90, I knew this day would come,” Sasis Putthasit, a 53-year-old housekeeper, said early Saturday in the capital, Bangkok.
“But I didn’t expect it to be today,” Sasis said. AFP.
“I feel sad because she was a mother figure for the country and now she is gone.”
Sirikit had “suffered from several illnesses” while hospitalized since 2019, including a blood infection this month, the palace said in a statement.
“His Majesty’s condition worsened until Friday and he passed away… in Chulalongkorn hospital at the age of 93,” he added.
King Vajiralongkorn has assigned members of the royal family to begin a year-long mourning period, the palace said.
From early Saturday, Thai news anchors were seen dressed in black during the morning broadcast, a sign of public mourning.
His passing “marks a deeply significant event for the Thai royal family and the entire nation, given his immense popularity and deep connection to the late king, who remains deeply revered,” said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a former Thai diplomat and academic who studies the monarchy. AFP.
Pakistan offers condolences
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his “deep sorrow” over the death of the former queen and conveyed his condolences to King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the royal family and the people of Thailand.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was deeply saddened by Sirikit’s passing away.
“The people and government of Pakistan join me in expressing our deepest condolences to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the royal family and the people of Thailand. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time of national grief,” he said.
‘Mother of the Nation’
King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s remarkably long reign, from 1946 to 2016, was marked by World War II and the first inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
Although Bhumibol’s son inherited the throne some nine years ago, many still revere him as the nation’s most steadfast figure, and Sirikit as his constant companion.
He withdrew from public life in recent years because he was suffering from health problems and his privacy was sealed by strict lese majeste laws that limit what can be reported about the royal family.
But in her glamorous heyday in the 1960s she mingled with American presidents and superstars such as Elvis Presley, while at home she toured Thailand visiting rural villagers.
She was known as the “Mother of the Nation” and her birthday was designated as the country’s Mother’s Day.
The reigning Chakri dynasty dates back to 1782, but King Vajiralongkorn’s succession is unclear as he has not formally named an heir.
He has seven children, including five sons: four from a previous marriage who have been officially disowned, and his 20-year-old son Dipangkorn Rasmijoti.
While the royal family is still held in very high regard by most Thais, it faced unprecedented public dissent during the 2020 street protests.
Tens of thousands of young protesters took to the streets demanding widespread political reforms, including changes to the monarchy, a public challenge to royal status never before seen in Thailand.
Although Thailand’s constitution places the monarchy above politics, Sirikit came to public attention when he attended the funeral of a royalist protester in 2008.
When her husband, King Bhumibol, died, Thailand observed a year-long period of mourning.
Authorities ordered flags to fly at half-mast for 30 days, banned weddings and concerts and instructed citizens to wear black.
Former Queen Sirikit’s body will lie in state at the Grand Palace’s Dusit Thorne Hall in the capital Bangkok, according to the palace.
