Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit, who brought glamour and elegance to a postwar revival in the country’s monarchy and who, in later years, would occasionally wade into politics, has died aged 93, the Thai Royal Household Bureau said on Saturday.
Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit, who brought glamour and elegance to a postwar revival in the country’s monarchy and who, in later years, would occasionally wade into politics, has died aged 93, the Thai Royal Household Bureau said on Saturday.
Sirikit had been out of the public eye since a stroke in 2012.
The palace said she had been hospitalized since 2019 due to several illnesses and developed a bloodstream infection on October 17 before passing away late on Friday.
A mourning period of one year has been declared for members of the royal family and household.
The government said public offices would fly flags at half-mast for a month and asked government officials to observe mourning for one year.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul canceled his trip to the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur due to the Queen Mother’s death.
He told reporters he would travel to Malaysia to sign a cease-fire agreement with Cambodia on Sunday but return to Thailand afterward.STYLE ICON WHO CHARMED THE WORLD
Sirikit’s husband, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was Thailand’s longest-reigning monarch, with 70 years on the throne since 1946.
She was at his side for much of that, winning over hearts at home with their charity work.
When they traveled abroad, she also charmed the world’s media with her beauty and fashion sense.
During a 1960 visit to the United States that included a state dinner at the White House, Time magazine called her “svelte” and “archfeminist.
