The Royal Household Office of Thailand announced the death of Queen Sirikit on Saturday (October 25, 2025) at the age of 93.
Sirikit had been absent from public view since suffering a stroke in 2012.
Her husband, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was Thailand's longest-reigning monarch, having reigned for 70 years since 1946, with her at his side for most of that period.
Born in 1932, the year Thailand transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy, Sirikit Kitiyakara was the daughter of Thailand's ambassador to France and led a wealthy and privileged life.
While studying music and language in Paris, she met King Bhumibol, who had spent part of his childhood in Switzerland.
The couple spent time together in Paris, became engaged in 1949, and married in Thailand a year later, when she was 17.
Always distinguished by her elegance, Sirikit collaborated with French fashion designer Pierre Balmain to design eye-catching outfits made from Thai silk. Through her support for the preservation of traditional weaving crafts, she is credited with helping to revitalize Thailand's silk industry.
For more than four decades, she frequently traveled with the king to remote Thai villages, promoting development projects for the rural poor. Her activities were broadcast live on the country's nightly royal bulletin.
In 1976, her birthday, August 12, became Mother's Day and a national holiday in Thailand.
Her only son, the current King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, succeeded King Bhumibol after his death in 2016.
Upon his coronation in 2019, Sirikit's official title became "Queen Mother."
Thailand's Queen Mother Sirikit dies at 93
