King Bhumibol, Queen Sirikit and 13-year-old Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn walk in their Berkshire residence gardens, July 27, 1966. (AP Photo) Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit, known for her charitable work, promotion of traditional crafts, and environmental initiatives, passed away on Friday at the age of 93. She had been hospitalised since Oct 17 due to a blood infection, the Royal Household Bureau said. Her condition did not improve despite medical efforts.
Born Sirikit Kitiyakara on Aug 12, 1932, into an aristocratic Bangkok family with ties to the Chakri dynasty, she grew up during Thailand’s transition from absolute monarchy to a constitutional system. She studied in wartime Bangkok and later in France, where she met Thailand’s newly crowned King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Their friendship deepened after the king suffered a near-fatal car accident, prompting her to move to Switzerland to care for him. The couple married in 1950, and at a coronation ceremony later that year, they pledged to “reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese (Thai) people,” reported AP.
The couple had four children, including current King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and three princesses: Ubolratana, Sirindhorn, and Chulabhorn.
Social welfare
During their early married life, the king and queen travelled globally as goodwill ambassadors.
By the 1970s, they focused on Thailand’s domestic challenges, including rural poverty, hill-tribe opium addiction, and a communist insurgency. Each year, they visited remote villages and officiated over 500 ceremonies.
Sirikit launched several initiatives to support rural communities. In 1976, she founded SUPPORT, a programme that trained villagers in silk-weaving, jewelry-making, painting, ceramics, and other traditional crafts. Nicknamed the “Green Queen,” she also created wildlife breeding centres, open zoos, and sea turtle hatcheries, and promoted sustainable forestry and water preservation through projects such as Forest Loves Water and Little House in the Forest.
Public life
Beloved by rural Thais, Sirikit was known for personally addressing villagers’ problems, from marital disputes to medical needs.
Despite occasional palace gossip, her popularity endured.
In a 1979 interview with AP, she said, “Misunderstandings arise between people in rural areas and the rich, so-called civilized people in Bangkok. People in rural Thailand say they are neglected, and we try to fill that gap by staying with them in remote areas.”
Sirikit also played a visible role in national life, with her portrait widely displayed and her birthday on Aug 12 celebrated as Mother’s Day in Thailand. While overshadowed by her husband and son, she was influential in the social and cultural sphere.
Beliefs and royal philosophy
Unlike many royals with ceremonial roles, Sirikit believed the monarchy was central to Thailand’s identity.
“There are some in the universities who think the monarchy is obsolete. But I think Thailand needs an understanding monarch,” she said in the 1979 interview. “At the call, ‘The king is coming,’ thousands will gather. The mere word king has something magic in it. It is wonderful.”
(With inputs from agencies)
