Sirikit facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sirikit
Queen Mother of Thailand
Queen Sirikit in 2007
Queen Consort of Thailand
Tenure	28 April 1950 - 13 October 2016
Coronation	5 May 1950
Queen Regent of Thailand
Regency	22 October 1956 - 5 November 1956
Monarch	Rama IX
Born	Sirikit Kitiyakara (1932-08-12) 12 August 1932 (age 92) Bangkok, Siam
Spouse	Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) ​ ​ (m. 1950; died 2016)​
Issue Detail	Princess Ubol Ratana Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) Sirindhorn, Princess Royal Chulabhorn, Princess Srisavangavadhana
House	Kitiyakara (by birth) Mahidol (by marriage) (Chakri dynasty)
Father	Nakkhatra Mangala
Mother	Bua Snidvongs
Religion	Theravada Buddhism
Signature

Sirikit (born Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara on 12 August 1932) is a member of the Thai royal family. She was the Queen of Thailand from 28 April 1950 to 13 October 2016. She was married to King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX). She is also the mother of the current King, Vajiralongkorn (Rama X).

Queen Sirikit met King Bhumibol in Paris, where her father was the Thai ambassador. They got married in 1950, just before King Bhumibol's official crowning ceremony. In 1956, Queen Sirikit became the queen regent. This happened when the King spent some time as a Buddhist monk. Queen Sirikit and the King had four children together. She was the longest-serving queen consort in the world at that time. Queen Sirikit had a stroke in 2012 and has not appeared in public much since then.

Early Life and Family Background

Sirikit was born on 12 August 1932. She was born at the home of her grandfather, Lord Vongsanuprabhand. She is the oldest daughter and third child of Prince Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara. Her mother was Mom Luang Bua Snidvongs. Queen Rambai Barni gave her the name Sirikit, which means "the greatness of Kitiyakara."

She had three brothers and sisters:

• Mom Rajawongse Kalyanakit Kitiyakara (born 20 September 1929 – died 15 May 1987)
• Mom Rajawongse Adulakit Kitiyakara (born 2 November 1930 – died 5 May 2004)
• Than Phu Ying Busba Kitiyakara (born 2 August 1934)

When Sirikit was a baby, her grandparents took care of her for a year. This was because her father was working in the United States as a secretary at the Siamese Embassy. Her mother joined her father a few months later. When Sirikit was one year old, her parents came back to Thailand. The family lived together in Deves Palace in Bangkok, near the Chao Phraya River.

Education and Learning Abroad

When Sirikit was four years old, she started school at the Kindergarten College at Rajini School. She studied there at the primary level. During this time, the Pacific War was happening. Bangkok was bombed many times, especially the train lines, which made travel unsafe. So, she moved to Saint Francis Xavier Convent School, which was closer to the palace. She studied there from her second primary year until early secondary school.

In 1946, after the war ended, her father became the ambassador to the Court of St James's in the United Kingdom. His family went with him. Sirikit was 13 years old and finished her secondary education there. In England, she learned to play the piano and became very good at speaking English and French. Because her father was a diplomat, the family moved to other countries like Denmark and France. While in France, she studied music in Paris.

In France, Sirikit met King Bhumibol Adulyadej. They were related because both were descendants of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). At that time, Bhumibol was already the King and was studying in Switzerland. King Bhumibol and Sirikit, along with some other students, stayed at the Royal Thai Embassy in Paris. Sirikit went with the King to visit different tourist places, and they found they had a lot in common.

Royal Marriage

Queen Sirikit (far left) with other members of the Thai royal family in 1950.

On 4 October 1948, King Bhumibol was driving in Switzerland and had a car accident. He hurt his back and lost most of the sight in one eye. While he was in the hospital, Sirikit visited him often. She met his mother, The Princess Mother Sangwan, who asked Sirikit to continue her studies nearby so the King could get to know her better. King Bhumibol chose a boarding school for her in Lausanne. They quietly got engaged in Lausanne on 19 July 1949. They married on 28 April 1950, just one week before his coronation. The King and Queen had four children.

Becoming Queen

Queen Sirikit in the Netherlands in 1960.

The wedding took place at Srapathum Palace. Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Grandmother, led the wedding ceremony. Both the King and Sirikit signed their marriage certificate. Since Sirikit was not yet 18, her parents also signed. She then received the Order of the Royal House of Chakri and officially became Queen. After the coronation ceremony on 5 May 1950, they both went back to Switzerland to finish their studies. They returned to Bangkok in 1952.

Children of the King and Queen

Queen Regent of Thailand

Queen Sirikit taking an oath of office in 1956, when she was appointed regent by King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit in 1963.

Queen Sirikit and Vladimir Putin in 2007.

In 1956, King Bhumibol Adulyadej decided to become a Buddhist monk for a short time, as is a tradition in Thailand. During this period, Queen Sirikit took over his duties as regent. She did such a good job that the King officially named her the Regent of Thailand. On his birthday, 5 December 1956, he gave her the special title 'Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat'. She was the second queen in Thai history to serve as a regent. The first was Queen Saovabha Phongsri of Siam.

Health Updates

On 21 July 2012, Queen Sirikit felt unwell while exercising at Siriraj Hospital. Doctors found that she had suffered an ischemic stroke.

Since then, the Queen has not made many public appearances. She was treated and has been recovering. On 29 November 2016, the palace announced that she had left the hospital and returned to the Chitralada Royal Villa.

Cultural Importance

Queen Sirikit's birthday, 12 August, is a national holiday in Thailand. It is also celebrated as Mothers' Day. People in traditional parts of Thailand especially respect her. She is admired for her work in promoting understanding among Muslim groups in the southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. This has made her very popular with Thai Muslims. The Queen has a strong connection with southern Thailand and used to spend months there each year.

Books and Music

The Royal Flag of Queen Sirikit, often flown in August.

In 1964, Queen Sirikit published a book called In Memory of my European Trip. It described her travels in Europe with the King. She also wrote songs for the palace band, The Handsome Band, to perform.

The songs she composed include:

• Chao Chom Khwan
• That Thoe
• Sai Yut
• Nang Yaem

Honors and Recognition

In 1976, the Thai government honored Queen Sirikit by making her birthday a national holiday. Queen Sirikit's birthday is celebrated every year on 12 August.

She has also received many honors from other countries around the world.

Things Named After Queen Sirikit

Queen Sirikit is known for her charity work. She is the honorary president of the Thai Red Cross, a role she has held since 1956. She was very active in helping people after the tsunami disaster in southern Thailand in December 2004. She has also helped many refugees from Cambodia and Myanmar who came to Thailand.

Many places and things in Thailand are named after the Queen:

• The Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, a children's hospital
• The Queen Sirikit Medical Center building at Ramathibodi Hospital
• The Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer, a hospital in Bangkok
• The Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok
• The Queen Sirikit Park in Bangkok
• The Sirikit Dam on the Nan River
• The Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden in Chiang Mai Province
• The Queen Sirikit Arboretum Garden in Pathum Thani Province
• The Queen Sirikit Cup, an annual golf event
• The Queen Sirikit Crab (Thaiphusa sirikit)
• The Queen Sirikit Rose
• The Queen's Cup, an annual football competition

The Queen also works to promote Thai culture and history. She helped make the Thai movie The Legend of Suriyothai, which was one of the biggest and most expensive Thai movies ever made.

See also

In Spanish: Sirikit para niños

• List of covers of Time magazine (1960s)