Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit, an Influential Style Icon, Dies at 93

Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit, who brought glamour and grace to the monarchy’s post-war revival and occasionally played a role in national politics, passed away at the age of 93, the Royal Household Bureau announced on Saturday.

Sirikit had largely withdrawn from public life after suffering a stroke in 2012.

According to the palace, she had been hospitalized since 2019 due to multiple ailments and developed a blood infection on October 17. She died late Friday night.

A year of mourning has been declared for the royal family and palace staff. The government ordered flags at half-mast for a month and instructed officials to observe a year of mourning. Entertainment venues have been asked to suspend activities for a month.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul canceled his planned visits to the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur and the APEC Summit in South Korea following the Queen Mother’s death. He told reporters that he would travel to Malaysia on Sunday to sign a ceasefire agreement with Cambodia but would return to Thailand immediately afterward.

A Style Icon Who Captivated the World

Sirikit’s husband, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was Thailand’s longest-reigning monarch, ruling for 70 years from 1946. She was by his side through most of his reign and won the hearts of Thais with her charitable work.

When traveling abroad, she fascinated global audiences with her beauty and impeccable fashion sense.

During a 1960 visit to the United States — which included a state dinner at the White House — Time magazine described her as “sweet” and “archfeminine,” while the French daily L’Aurore called her “magnificent.”

Born Sirikit Kitiyakara in 1932 — the same year Thailand transitioned from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy — she was the daughter of Thailand’s ambassador to France and grew up in privilege.

While studying music and languages in Paris, she met Bhumibol, who had spent part of his youth in Switzerland.

In a BBC documentary, she once recalled, “At first sight, I hated him,” explaining that he had arrived late for their first meeting. “Then I fell in love.”

The two spent time together in Paris and became engaged in 1949. A year later, at age 17, she married Bhumibol in Thailand.

Known for her timeless elegance, Sirikit collaborated with French couturier Pierre Balmain to create stunning ensembles made from Thai silk. She is credited with helping revive the country’s silk industry by promoting traditional weaving techniques.

Champion of Rural Development

For over four decades, Sirikit accompanied the king on visits to remote Thai villages, supporting development projects for impoverished communities. Their activities were broadcast nightly on the Royal Bulletin.

In 1956, she served briefly as regent while the king entered a temple as a Buddhist monk — a rite traditionally undertaken by Thai men.

Her birthday, August 12, was declared Mother’s Day in 1976 and remains a national holiday.

Her only son, now King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X), succeeded Bhumibol after his death in 2016 and formally became king in 2019. Sirikit then assumed the title of Queen Mother.

A Subtle Political Presence

Officially, Thailand’s monarchy stands above politics, though its modern history has been marked by coups and instability. Still, at times, members of the royal family — including Sirikit — have made gestures interpreted as political.

In 1998, during her birthday speech, she urged Thais to unite behind then–Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, a move seen as undermining opposition plans to force early elections through a no-confidence motion.

Later, she was associated with the royalist People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), whose protests helped bring down governments linked to former telecom tycoon and populist leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

In 2008, she attended the funeral of a PAD protester killed in clashes with police — widely interpreted as royal endorsement of the movement that had toppled a pro-Thaksin administration the previous year.

Remembered with Reverence

To many Thais, Queen Mother Sirikit will be remembered for her compassion, devotion, and lifelong charitable work. Her passing will be met with deep reverence in a country where criticism of the monarchy is strictly prohibited under lèse-majesté laws, which carry prison terms even for comments about deceased royals.

On Saturday, mourners dressed in black gathered outside Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn Hospital, where she passed away.

“When I heard the news, my world stopped,” said 67-year-old resident Maninat Laowalart. “It brought back memories of all the things Her Majesty did for us.”

Sirikit is survived by her son, King Vajiralongkorn, and three daughters.