Year-Long Funeral Begins for Thailand’s Queen Sirikit After Her Death at Age 93

Queen Sirikit, the wife of Thailand’s late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, died on Friday, Oct. 24, following years of declining health. She was 93.

The Queen Mother, whose eldest son, Vajiralongkorn, 73, succeeded his father as King following his death in 2016, had withdrawn from public life after suffering a stroke in 2012. She was hospitalized since 2019 and, earlier this month, developed a blood infection from which she did not recover.

In addition to Vajiralongkorn, Queen Sirikit and her late husband shared three daughters: Ubol Ratana, 74, Sirindhorn, the Princess Royal, 70, and Chulabhorn, Princess Srisavangavadhana, 68.

The late Queen was born on Aug. 12, 1932. Her father was Prince Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara, a member of the Siamese royal family. He worked as a diplomat and was serving as Thailand’s ambassador to France when Sirikit met Bhumibol in Paris. They married in 1950, just before Bhumibol’s coronation, when Sirikit was just 17.

King Bhumibol reigned for 70 years and 126 days, the longest-reigning Asian monarch on record, and third-longest of any sovereign state behind only King Louis XIV and Queen Elizabeth.

Following Queen Sirikit’s death, mourners took to the streets of Thailand and gathered around the Grand Palace in Bangkok. A motorcade transported the late queen’s body from Chulalongkorn Hospital to the palace on Oct. 26, with onlookers bowing and police officers taking a knee as the cars passed.

Like her husband, Queen Sirikit will lie in state at the Grand Palace for one year before being cremated.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed all government workers to wear “mourning attire” for one year, with everyone else asked to dress in black or muted colors for 90 days. Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that this has put a run on black fabric in the country, with retailers struggling to keep up with demand.

Flags on government buildings will be flown at half-mast for 30 days, and, according to NDTV World News, visitors to the country are also asked to respect the mourning period with their dress and behavior.

Unlike his parents’ long, uninterrupted reign, Vajiralongkorn is already facing a succession crisis of sorts. Despite being in his 70s, he has yet to officially name an heir.

His eldest child, Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, was thought to be the frontrunner, even though Thai tradition favors a male heir.

However, “Princess Bha,” as she is known to the public, has been hospitalized in a coma since December 2022 after collapsing as a result of a heart condition.

In August, the royal family shared a rare update on the condition of the 46-year-old princess, revealing that her medical team at Chulalongkorn Red Cross Hospital in Bangkok has “detected a severe infection in the bloodstream, leading them to administer antibiotics and medication to stimulate blood pressure in order to maintain stable levels.”

“The doctors have reported that the Princess’ lungs and kidneys have been functioning with support from medical devices and medication,” the statement added.

The King also has five children by his second wife, Yuvadhida Polpraserth, and one son by his third wife, Srirasmi Suwadee. For now, it is thought that his youngest, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, 20, may be his only choice for a nuclear successor.