Sirikit

Sirikit
Queen Sirikit in Russia, 2007
Queen consort of Thailand
Tenure	28 April 1950 – present
Coronation	5 May 1950
Born	(1932-08-12) 12 August 1932 Bangkok, Siam
Spouse	Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX)
Issue	Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn Princess Sirindhorn Princess Chulabhorn Walailak
House	House of Kitiyakara
Father	Nakkhatra Mangala, Prince of Chanthaburi
Mother	Bua Snidvongs
Religion	Buddhism
Signature

Sirikit (Thai: สิริกิติ์; Thai pronunciation: [sìrìkìt];  listen ), born Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara (Thai: สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; rtgs: Sirikit Kitiyakon) on 12 August 1932, is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King (Rama IX) of Thailand. She met Bhumibol in Paris, where her father was the Thai ambassador. They married in 1950, shortly before Bhumibol's coronation. Sirikit was appointed Queen Regent in 1956. Sirikit has one son and three daughters for the King. As the consort of the king who is the world's longest-reigning head of state, she is also the world's longest-serving consort of a monarch. Sirikit suffered a stroke on 21 July 2012 and has since refrained from public appearances.

Early life

Sirikit was born on 12 August 1932, at the home of Lord Vongsanuprabhand, her maternal grandfather. She is the eldest daughter and the third child of Prince Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara, the son of Prince Kitiyakara Voralaksana, and Mom Luang Bua Snidvongs. Her name, which was given by King Prajadhipok, means "the greatness of Kitiyakara".

She had three siblings, two elder brothers and a younger sister:

• Prof. Mom Rajawongse Galyanakit Kitiyakara, M.D. (20 September 1929 – 15 May 1987)
• Mom Rajawongse Adulakit Kitiyakara (2 November 1930 – 5 May 2004)
• Mom Rajawongse Busba Kitiyakara (born 2 August 1934)

Sirikit was raised by her maternal grandparents for a year after her birth, as her father went to United States to work as the secretary of the Siamese Royal Embassy at Washington D.C. Her mother joined her husband three months later. When she was one year old, her parents returned to Thailand. Sirikit lived together with her family in Deves Palace, near the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok.

As a child, Sirikit often visited her paternal grandmother. Once in 1933, she traveled with Princess Absornsaman Devakula following King Prajadhipok's tour in Songkhla.

Education

The King and Queen after their wedding, 28 April 1950.

Thai Royal Family
HM The King HM The Queen HRH The Crown Prince HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana HRH Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn HRH Princess Chulabhorn Walailak HRH Princess Siribhachudhabhorn HRH Princess Adityadhornkitikhun Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Khun Ploypailin Jensen Khun Sirikitiya Jensen HRH Princess Soamsawali Thanphuying Dhasanawalaya Sornsongkram

At age four, Sirikit attended the Kindergarten College at Rajini School (sometimes called the Queen's College). She studied at the primary level. During that time the Pacific War was being fought. Bangkok was attacked many times, thus making travel unsafe. She then moved to Saint Francis Xavier Convent School, because it was near the palace. She studied there from her second year at the primary level to the secondary level.

In 1946, with the war ended, her father moved to the United Kingdom to work as the ambassador to the Court of St. James's, taking his family with him. At that time, Sirikit was 13 and had graduated to the secondary level. While staying in England she learned to play the piano and learned English and French. Because of her father's work as an ambassador, she and her family moved to various countries, including Denmark and France. While living in France, she studied at a music academy in Paris.

Also while in France, Sirikit met King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is distantly related to her, both being descendants of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). At that time, Bhumibol had ascended to the throne and was studying in Switzerland. Both Bhumibol and Sirikit (as well as a few other students) were staying at the Thai Royal Embassy in Paris. Sirikit accompanied the king as he visited various tourist attractions. Both Bhumibol and Sirikit found much in common and thus began a relationship.

Marriage

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 most of the sight in one eye.^[1] He subsequently wears an ocular prosthetic. While he was hospitalised in Lausanne, Sirikit visited him frequently. She met his mother, The Princess Mother Sangwan, who asked her to continue her studies nearby so that the king could get to know her better. Bhumibol selected a boarding school for her in Lausanne, Riante Rive. A quiet engagement in Lausanne followed on 19 July 1949,^[1] and the couple married on 28 April 1950, just a week before his coronation.

The marriage took place at Srapathum Palace. Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Grandmother presided over the marriage ceremony. Both the king and Sirikit signed on line 11 of their certificate of marriage. As she was not yet 18, her parents also signed, on line 12 directly under her signature. She later received the Order of the Royal House of Chakri, and became queen. After the coronation ceremony on 5 May 1950, both went back to Switzerland to continue their studies, and returned to Bangkok in 1952.

Regency

Queen Sirikit in the Netherlands, 1960.

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.^[2] She performed her duties so satisfactorily that she was made queen regent and given the style of "Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat" by her husband on his birthday, 5 December 1956. She then 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, and later became Queen Sri Patcharindra, the queen mother.

Health

At dawn on 21 July 2012 Queen Sirikit felt unsteady and staggered while exercising at Siriraj Hospital where King Bhumibol Adulyadej resided. A team of physicians determined after performing magnetic resonance imaging that she had incurred an ischemic stroke.^[3]

The Queen has been treated and has refrained from public appearances since, including the grand audience granted by her husband on his 85th birthday from the Ananta Samakhom Hall on 5 December 2012.^[4]

Children

Sirikit in Germany with President Heinrich Lübke and his wife Wilhelmine, 1960.

The couple has four children, three daughters and a son:

• (Formerly HRH) Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, born 5 April 1951 in Lausanne, Switzerland; married Peter Ladd Jensen, has two daughters (one son deceased)
• HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, born 28 July 1952; married Mom Luang Soamsawali Kitiyakara (later divorced and became HRH the Princess Niece); one daughter. Then married Yuvadhida Polpraserth; four sons and a daughter. Third marriage was to Srirasmi Akharapongpreecha; one son.
• HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, born 2 April 1955; unmarried
• HRH Princess Chulabhorn Walailak, born 4 July 1957; married Virayudh Tishyasarin, (then divorced); two daughters

Cultural status

Queen Sirikit's birthday, as is the king's, is a national holiday, and is also Mothers' Day in Thailand. 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 local Muslims [reference?]. The queen has a strong bond with southern Thailand. She spends months in the Muslim-majority provinces every year. The queen is considered to be one of the more quiet diplomats.^[5]

Books and writing

Personal Standard of Queen Sirikit, often flown in August (near her birthday and Mothers' Day).

Queen Sirikit published In Memory of my European Trip in 1964, which described her time in Europe with the king. It was this book that revealed that she was a talented writer. Moreover, she has composed songs for performance by The Handsome Band, the band of the palace.

The songs she composed were:

• Chao Chom Khwan (เจ้าจอมขวัญ)
• That Thoe (ทาสเธอ)
• Sai Yut (สายหยุด)
• Nang Yaem (นางแย้ม)

Charitable works and institutions associated with Queen Sirikit

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 in Thailand.

Many things in Thailand have been named after the Queen:

• the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, children's hospital
• the Queen Sirikit Medical Center building, Ramathibodi Hospital
• the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer, a new 10-storey hospital in Bangkok
• the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok
• the Queen Sirikit Park in Bangkok
• the Sirikit Dam on the Nan River, Uttaradit Province
• the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Chiang Mai Province^[6]
• the Queen Sirikit Arboretum Garden, Pathum Thani Province
• the Queen Sirikit Cup, an annual Asian-Pacific golfing event
• the Queen Sirikit Crab (Thaiphusa sirikit)
• the Queen Sirikit Rose
• the Queen's Cup, annual football competition

The queen is also active in promoting Thai culture and history, mainly through her initiative in the making of the Thai movie The Legend of Suriyothai, one of the most lavish and expensive Thai movies ever made.^[7]

Awards

Honorary degrees

Title and ranks

Styles of Queen Sirikit of Thailand
Reference style	Her Majesty
Spoken style	Your Majesty
Alternative style	Ma'am

Her formal name and title is Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat Thai: สมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ พระบรมราชินีนาถ; "Her Majesty Queen Regent Sirikit". Her official title is 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 Thai: จอมพลหญิง จอมพลเรือหญิง จอมพลอากาศหญิง สมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ พระบรมราชินีนาถ; "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, in the Royal Thai Army.

• 12 August 1932 – 28 April 1950: The Honourable (English style) or Mom Rajawongse (Thai style) Sirikit Kitiyakara
• 28 April 1950 – 5 December 1956: Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand
• 5 December 1956 – present: Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, Queen Regent of Thailand

In 1976, the Thai government honored the queen by declaring her birthday a national holiday. The Queen's birthday is celebrated on 12 August each year.^[8]

Honours

Thailand  : Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn^[9]

• Knight Grand Cordon with Chain of The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri^[10][11]
• Knight Grand Cordon with Chain of the Order of the Nine Gems ^[12]
• Knight Grand Cordon with Chain of the Order of Chula Chom Klao^{[13][14][15][16]}
• Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
• Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
• Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of The Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn
• Member (Special Class) of The Order of Symbolic Propitiousness Ramkeerati - Boy Scout Citation Medal
• Freeman Safeguarding Medal (First Class)
• Civil Dushdi Mala Medal
• The Border Service Medal
• King Rama IX Royal Cypher Medal (First Class)
• King Rama IX Rajaruchi Medal (Gold Class)
• The Red Cross Commendation Medal

Foreign Honours

• Portugal
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Saint James of the Sword, 1960
• Sweden
  • Member Grand Cross of The Royal Order of the Seraphim (3 September 1960)
• Denmark
  • 1960: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Elephant^[17] (6 September 1960)
• Germany
  • 1960: Grand Cross (Special Class) of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Italy
  • 22 September 1960 : Grand Cross of The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic^[18]
• Belgium
  • 1960: Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold^[19]
• Luxembourg
  • 1960: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
• Netherlands
  • 1960: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
• Spain
  • 1960: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (3 November 1960)^[20]
  • 1987: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III (13 November 1987)^[21][22]
• Indonesia
  • 1961: First Class of The Star of Mahaputera
• Malaysia
  • 1963: The Most Exalted Order of the Crown of the Realm (Darjah Utama Seri Mahkota Negara)^[23]
  • 1999: Selangor - Grand Cross of The Most Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Selangor (Darjah Kerabat Yang Amat Dihormati Kelas Pertama)
  • 2004: Kelantan - Grand Cross of The Most Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Kelantan (Darjah Kerabat Yang Amat Di Hormati)
  • 2009: Terengganu - Grand Cross of The Most Distinguished Royal Family Order of Terengganu (Darjah Kerabat di-Raja Terengganu Yang Amat Mulia)
• Japan
  • 1963: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown ^[24]
• Taiwan
  • 1963: Special Grand Cordon of The Order of Propitious Clouds
• Austria
  • 1964: Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria^[25][26]
• Norway
  • 1965: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
• Philippines
  • 1968: Grand Collar (Maringal na Kuwintas) of The Order of the Golden Heart
• South Korea
  • 1981: Grand Order of Mugunghwa
• Brunei
  • 1990: The Most Esteemed Royal Family Order Seri Utama of Brunei
• Laos
  • 1992: Phoxay Lane Xang ^[27]

Honours from former Sovereign Families

• 1963: Grand Cross of the Order of Beneficence
• 1963: Grand Cordon of the Most Esteemed Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol
• 1968: Iranian Imperial Family: Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Pleiades, 1st Class ^[28]
• 1968: Dame Grand Cordon of the Most Exalted Order of the Queen of Sheba
• 1986: Member of The Nepal Pratap Bhaskara ^[29]

Issue

Ancestry

See also

• King Bhumibol Adulyadej

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Queen Sirikit of Thailand.

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Proclamation on Appointment of Queen Sirikit as Regent

Queens and consorts of the Chakri Dynasty First Reign Amarindra Second Reign Sri Suriyendra Kunthon Thipphayawadi Fourth Reign Somanass Waddhanawathy Debsirindra Phannarai Fifth Reign Sunandha Kumariratana Sukhumala Marasri Savang Vadhana Saovabha Phongsri Thaksincha Ubolratana Narinag Saovabhak Nariratana Saisavali Bhiromya Dara Rasmi Sixth Reign Lakshamilavan Indrasakdi Sachi Suvadhana Seventh Reign Rambhai Barni Ninth Reign (current) Sirikit (current) Princess consorts are in italics. The others are queen consorts.