Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat (;
Literally: "Her Majesty Queen Regent Sirikit"; ), or
Queen Sirikit (born
Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara on
August 12,
1932), is the wife as well as the
Queen consort of
Bhumibol Adulyadej, King (
Rama IX) of
Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand (the first Queen Regent was
Queen Saovabha Bongsri of Siam, later Queen Sri Patcharindra, the Queen Mother). As the consort of the king who currently is the world's longest reigning head of state, she is also the world's longest serving consort of a monarch.
Early life
Queen Sirikit was born on
August 12 1932, at the home of Lord Vongsanuprabhand, her maternal grandfather. She is the eldest daughter and the third child of
Mom Chao Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara, the son of
Prince Kitiyakara Voraluksana, Prince of Chanthaburi and
Mom Luang Bua Sanitvongse. Her name was given by
King Prajadhipok. Her name means
the Greatness of Kitiyakara.
She has 3 siblings; 2 elder brothers and a younger sister:
When Sirikit was born, her mother gave her to her maternal grandparents who raised her for a year. Her father went to
United States to work as the Secretary of the Siamese Royal Embassy at
Washington D.C., while her mother accompanied her husband three months later after she gave birth to Sirikit. As a child, Sirikit often went outdoors with her paternal grandmother. Once in
1933, she traveled with
Mom Chao Absornsamarn Dhevakul following King
Prajadhipok’s tour in Songkla.
One year later, her parents returned to
Thailand. Sirikit lived together with her family in
Dheves Palace, near
Chao Phraya River,
Bangkok.
Education
thumb|left|230px|The King and Queen after their wedding on the 28 April 1950.
At age 4, Sirikit attended the Kindergarten College at
Rajini School (sometimes name as the Queen’s college). She studied until her first year at the primary level. During that time was the
Pacific War, and Bangkok was attacked many times, thus causing unsafe transportation. She then moved to
Saint Francis Xavier Convent School, because it was near the palace. She studied at that school from her second year at the primary level to the secondary level.
In
1946, when the war ended, her father moved to the
United Kingdom to worked as the Ambassador to the
Court of St. James's, taking his family with him. At that time, Sirikit was 13 and had graduated the secondary level. While staying in England, she learned to play the piano and learned
English and
French. She and her family moved to various countries including
Denmark and
France. While staying in France, she studied at a music academy in
Paris.
In
France, she met
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who at that time has ascended to the throne already and had been studying at
Switzerland. Sirikit welcomed the King by accompanying him to various tourist attractions. Both the King and Sirikit happened to be staying at the Thai Royal Embassy in
Paris, as well as a few other students. Both the King and Sirikit found common grounds on their likes and dislikes and thus began a relationship.
Marriage
thumb|left|160px|Queen Sirikit during a parade in New York City, July 1960.
On 4 October 1948, while Bhumibol was driving a
Fiat Topolino on the
Geneva-
Lausanne road, he collided into the rear of a braking truck 10 km outside of Lausanne. He hurt his back and incurred cuts on his face that cost him sight in his right eye. He subsequently wore an
ocular prosthetic. While he was hospitalised in Lausanne, Sirikit visited him frequently. She met his mother,
The Princess Mother Sangval, who asked her to continue her studies nearby so that the king could get to know her better. Bhumibol selected for her a boarding school in Lausanne, Riante Rive. A quiet engagement in Lausanne followed on 19 July 1949, and the couple married on 28 April 1950, just a week before his coronation.
In the marriage, it took place at
Srapathum Palace.
Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Grandmother presided over the marriage ceremony. Both the King and Sirikit signed their name in their marriage licenses. Later, she received the
Order of the Royal House of Chakri, and then became Queen. Later, after the coronation ceremony on
May 5 1950, both went back to Switzerland to study and came back to Bangkok again in
1952.
Regency
When the King undertook a period of service as a
Buddhist monk in 1956 (as is customary for all Thai Buddhist males), Queen Sirikit became Regent. She performed her duties so satisfactorily that she was made
queen regent and given the style of "Somdej Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat" by her husband on his birthday,
December 5 1956. Upon this inception, she became the second Siamese Queen Regent. The first Queen Regent was
Queen Saovabha Bongsri of Siam, who was regent when her husband King
Chulalongkorn travelled to
Europe. (later Queen Sri Patcharindra, the Queen Mother)
Children
thumb|200px|Sirikit in Germany with President Heinrich Lübke and his wife Wilhelmine, 1960.
The couple has 4 children; 3 daughters and a son:
- HRH Princess Chulabhorn Walailak, born July 4 1957; married Virayudh Didyasarin, (then divorced); has 2 daughters
Cultural Identity
Queen Sirikit's birthday, like the King's, is a national holiday, and is also Mothers' Day in the country. She is particularly revered in the more remote and traditional parts of the country, where the monarchy is regarded as semi-divine. Her work in promoting
tolerance and understanding for the
Muslim minorities in the southernmost provinces of
Pattani,
Yala and
Narathiwat have made her especially popular amongst the local Muslim populace. The Queen has a strong bond with southern Thailand. She spends months in the Muslim-majority provinces every year. This role of the Queen is considered to be as one of the more quiet diplomats.
Books and writing
Queen Sirikit published the book
In Memory of my European Trip in
1964, her memoirs describing her time in Europe with the king. It was this book that made the people realise that she was a talented writer. Moreover, she composed many songs for performing with
The Handsome Band, the music band of the palace.
The songs she composed were:
- Chao Chom Kwan (เจ้าจอมขวัญ )
Charitable works and honors
Queen Sirikit is well-known for her charitable work, where she is the honorary President of the Thai Red Cross, a post she has held since 1956. She gained new prominence in this role in the aftermath of the
tsunami disaster in southern Thailand in December 2004. She has also been active in relief work for the many refugees from
Cambodia and
Burma who have sought refuge in Thailand.
Many things in Thailand have been named after the Queen:
- The Queen Sirikit Medical Center building , Ramathibodi Hospital
- The Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer, a new 10 storey hospital in Bangkok
The Queen is also active in promoting Thai culture and history, mainly because of her initiative in the making of the Thai movie
The Legend of Suriyothai, one of the most lavish and expensive Thai movies ever made.
Awards
Honorary Degrees
Title and ranks
Royal cypher of Queen Sirikit
Her formal name and title is
Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat (; "Her Majesty Queen Regent Sirikit"). However, her official title is just
Queen Sirikit.
At present, the queen ranks as
Field Marshal,
Admiral of the Fleet and
Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force, usually mentioned in official documents that:
Chom Phon Ying Chom Phon Ruea Ying Chom Phon Akat Ying Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat (; "Her Majesty Queen Regent Sirikit, the Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force"). The queen holds ceremonial supreme power, after her husband who ranks as the
Head of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, among the Royal Thai Army.
- 5 December 1956 - present: Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, Queen Regent of Thailand
In 1976, the Thai government gave an honour to the Queen by commemorating
Mother's Day as an annual holiday, celebrated on
August 12 (the Queen's birthday) annually.
Ancestor
