Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit passes away at 93
Thailand's Queen Mother Sirikit, who was known for helping the poor passed away on Friday following prolonged illness
Bangkok: Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit, who was known for helping the poor and for her actions to protect the environment, passed away on Friday following prolonged illness. She was 93.
In a statement, the palace said Sirikit passed away in a hospital in Bangkok. “Her Majesty’s condition worsened until Friday and she passed away at 9:21 pm at Chulalongkorn Hospital at age 93.”
Queen Sirikit was the mother of the current Thai ruler, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, She was married to King Bhumibol, who died in 2016 after serving on the throne for 70 years. The two married each other in April 1950, the same year in which Adulyadej was crowned as the king of Thailand. The two had four children, current King Vajiralongkorn, and princesses Ubolratana, Sirindhorn and Chulabhorn.
After the death, King Vajiralongkorn has ordered the Thai Royal Household Bureau to organise a royal funeral, the statement added.
Queen Sirikit’s body will lie in state at the Grand Palace’s Dusit Thorne Hall in Bangkok, according to the palace. Thai royal family members will also observe a year of mourning.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has cancelled his trip to a South East Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Malaysia due to Queen Sirikit’s death.
