Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit, the beloved mother of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and wife of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the country’s longest-reigning monarch passed away late Friday at the age of 93, the royal palace announced.
The royal family, deeply revered in Thailand, holds an almost sacred status. Portraits of its members, adorned in gold frames, grace public spaces and private homes across the nation, while the media portrays them in a consistently respectful light.
“It is a great loss to the nation,” Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Saturday, adding that he would postpone his trip to a regional summit in Malaysia to honor the late queen.
During her 66-year marriage to King Bhumibol, Queen Sirikit gained a reputation both as a fashion icon and a compassionate national matriarch. She appeared on international magazine covers and was often compared to U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy for her elegance and style.
“I knew she had been unwell, and at her age, I expected this day would come,” said 53-year-old Bangkok resident Sasis Putthasit. “But I didn’t think it would be today. It feels like losing a mother of the nation.”
Though the Thai monarchy is constitutionally above politics, Queen Sirikit drew attention in 2008 when she attended the funeral of a royalist protester a rare move that underscored her influence during a politically sensitive time.
When King Bhumibol passed away in 2016, the country entered a year-long mourning period marked by black attire, canceled festivities, and flags flown at half-mast. Similar tributes are expected for the late queen.
According to the palace, Queen Sirikit’s body will lie in state at Dusit Thron Hall in Bangkok’s Grand Palace.
“Thailand has lost two guiding lights in Queen Sirikit and King Bhumibol,” said Siraphob Sutthisalakorn, an employee at a frozen food company. “They are watching over us from heaven.”
