Thailand's Queen Mother Sirikit dies at 93, royal funeral ordered

Thailand's Queen Mother Sirikit, a prominent figure in the country's royal family who led charitable and conservation initiatives for decades, died on Friday at age 93, the Royal Household Bureau said. The bureau said she passed away peacefully at 9:21 p.m. on Oct. 24 at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, after developing a bloodstream infection on Oct. 17 that did not respond to treatment. She had been under continuous medical care since 2019 and had been largely absent from public life in recent years because of declining health.

The bureau said King Maha Vajiralongkorn has ordered a royal funeral with the highest honors in keeping with tradition and has decreed a one year mourning period for members of the royal family and officials of the royal court. Her remains will be enshrined at Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall in the Grand Palace, the statement said.

Born Sirikit Kitiyakara in Bangkok on Aug. 12, 1932, she married King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1950 and served by his side for much of his 70 year reign. The couple had four children, including the current king. After her husband's death in 2016 and his son’s accession, Sirikit’s formal title became Queen Mother....