By John Zurcher
America News World
October 25, 2025
BANGKOK — Thailand’s royal family and a nation steeped in reverence for its monarchy are in deep mourning following the death of Queen Mother Sirikit, a figure whose elegance and quiet power helped define modern Thailand. The 93-year-old icon passed away peacefully on Friday evening at 9:21 p.m. local time at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, succumbing to complications from sepsis, a bloodstream infection that had worsened since October 17. 0 1 The Thai Royal Household Bureau confirmed the news late Friday, triggering a wave of tributes across the kingdom and beyond.
Sirikit had been under continuous medical care at the hospital since September 2019, where doctors monitored multiple health issues, including the effects of a 2012 stroke that had largely confined her to private life. 2 Her son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn—known as Rama X—has ordered a state funeral with the highest honors, including her body lying in state at the Grand Palace’s Dusit Throne Hall. 4 A one-year mourning period has been declared for the royal family and courtiers, while Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul canceled his attendance at the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia to oversee national arrangements. 9 In a country where lese-majeste laws impose severe penalties for even perceived slights against the monarchy, her passing is being observed with profound respect, evoking memories of her late husband King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s funeral in 2016, which drew millions.
Born Sirikit Kitiyakara on August 12, 1932—just months after Thailand’s seismic shift from absolute to constitutional monarchy—Sirikit entered the world as the eldest daughter of Prince Nakkhatra Mangala Kitiyakara, Thailand’s ambassador to France, and Mom Luang Bua Kitiyakara. 0 Raised in opulence amid diplomatic circles, she honed her passions for music and languages in Paris, a city that would prove fateful. It was there, in the elegant salons of Europe, that she first encountered the young Bhumibol Adulyadej, then crown prince, during his studies in Switzerland.
Their meeting was inauspicious. “It was hate at first sight,” Sirikit later quipped in a BBC documentary, recalling Bhumibol’s tardiness to their debut encounter. 1 Fate, however, intervened dramatically in 1948 when Bhumibol suffered a severe car accident near Lausanne, crashing into a truck and losing sight in one eye. During his recovery, Sirikit’s family—close to the royals—facilitated frequent visits, kindling a romance that blossomed into love. They became engaged in 1949 and wed on April 28, 1950, when Sirikit was a mere 17. The union produced four children: King Vajiralongkorn, Princess Ubolratana, Princess Sirindhorn, and Princess Chulabhorn.
As queen consort during Bhumibol’s unprecedented 70-year reign—the longest of any monarch in modern history—Sirikit became the poised counterpart to his scholarly demeanor. Together, they traversed Thailand’s rugged terrains, launching initiatives that touched the lives of the rural poor. Televised nightly on the Royal Bulletin, these journeys portrayed the royals not as distant figures but as benevolent guardians, fostering a cult of adoration that solidified the monarchy’s role as a stabilizing force amid political upheavals. 7
Sirikit’s global allure was magnetic. A fashion visionary, she partnered with French designer Pierre Balmain to craft gowns from Thai silk, breathing new life into the nation’s weaving traditions and boosting local economies. 1 Her 1960 U.S. tour, capped by a White House state dinner, earned raves: Time magazine dubbed her “svelte” and “archfeminist,” while France’s L’Aurore hailed her as “ravishing.” 0 She graced the International Best-Dressed List four times in the 1960s, blending Western sophistication with Thai heritage—think intricate embroidery on slim silhouettes that turned heads from Bangkok to Broadway.
Yet Sirikit’s influence extended beyond aesthetics into the subtle currents of politics, despite the monarchy’s official neutrality. In 1956, she briefly served as regent while Bhumibol retreated to a temple for Buddhist studies. 7 Her interventions grew bolder in turbulent times. During the 1998 Asian financial crisis, her birthday address rallied support for Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, thwarting an opposition no-confidence vote. Later, she aligned with the royalist People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), whose yellow-shirted protests toppled governments tied to populist ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra. Her 2008 attendance at a PAD protester’s funeral—amid clashes that claimed lives—signaled tacit royal endorsement, deepening the kingdom’s political divides. 4 9
Health challenges shadowed her later years. The 1980s brought bouts of illness, possibly depression or exhaustion, leading to a months-long public absence. 1 The 2012 stroke marked her withdrawal, though she remained a maternal symbol. Her August 12 birthday, declared Mother’s Day in 1976, underscored this role, with nationwide celebrations honoring her as the “mother of the nation.”
Sirikit’s legacy is woven into Thailand’s social fabric. She championed over 20 foundations aiding the underprivileged, from rural electrification to environmental conservation and artisan crafts. 7 Her SUPPORT Foundation preserved Thai silk and hill-tribe textiles, turning cultural preservation into economic empowerment. As a diplomat, she softened Thailand’s image abroad, her poise bridging East and West during Cold War tensions.
Financially, the royals’ opacity veils exact figures, but the family’s Crown Property Bureau—managing vast assets—pegs collective wealth in the tens of billions. King Vajiralongkorn alone is estimated at $30–$43 billion, making him the world’s richest monarch. 0 Sirikit, ever discreet, embodied privilege without ostentation.
From a Paris debutante to a queen mother who navigated coups, crises, and coronations, Sirikit’s 93 years spanned Thailand’s transformation. She leaves King Vajiralongkorn and her daughters, a nation in grief, and a blueprint for royal relevance in a democratizing world. As Bangkok’s streets fill with mourners clutching her portraits, one truth endures: In a land of lotus and lightning politics, Sirikit was the enduring bloom.