Influential royal and style icon, Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit dies at 93

BANGKOK: Thailand's former Queen Sirikit has died at the age of 93. She was the wife of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand from 1946 until his death in October 2016. The current King Maha Vajiralongkorn is their son. Since 1976, Sirikit's birthday, August 12, has been celebrated as Mother's Day in Thailand. It is also a national holiday.

Sirikit, who disappeared from public view after suffering a stroke in 2012, has been in hospital since 2019. Her health deteriorated on the 17th of this month after she developed a blood infection. A representative of the Thai royal family announced that she died on Friday night. The royal family has declared a one-year mourning period. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charanvirakul announced that he would not attend the ASEAN summit starting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. However, he will travel to Malaysia to sign a ceasefire agreement with Cambodia and will return soon. The Bhumibol-Sirikit couple have three more daughters, in addition to Vajiralongkorn. They were married in 1950.

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👉Sirikit was known as Thailand's style icon

👉She was active in charity work

👉Born in 1932 to a wealthy aristocratic family in Bangkok

👉Her father was the Thai ambassador to France

👉Sirikit collaborated with foreign fashion brands to popularize Thai silk

👉She promoted development projects in Thai villages