Education At age four, Sirikit attended the Kindergarten at
Rajini School (Queen's College in English), where she studied at the primary level. During that time the
Pacific War was being fought. Bangkok was bombed many times, especially the rail lines, making travel unsafe. She therefore moved to Saint Francis Xavier Convent School, since it was near the palace. She studied at Saint Francis Xavier from her second primary year through the early secondary level. In 1946, with the war over, her father moved to the United Kingdom as the ambassador to the
Court of St James's, taking his family with him. Sirikit was then 13 and completed her secondary education. While in England she learned to play the piano and became fluent in English and French. Because of her father's work as a diplomat, the family moved to other countries, including
Denmark and France. While in France, she studied at a music academy in Paris. Also in France, Sirikit met
Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was related to her, since both were descendants of King
Chulalongkorn (Rama V). At that time, Bhumibol had ascended to the throne and was studying in
Switzerland. Bhumibol and Sirikit (as well as a few other students) were staying at the Royal Thai Embassy in Paris. Sirikit accompanied the king as he visited various tourist attractions, and they found that they had much in common.
Marriage On 4 October 1948, while Bhumibol was driving a
Fiat Topolino on the
Geneva–
Lausanne highway, he collided with the rear of a braking truck 10 km outside of Lausanne. He injured his back and incurred cuts on his face that cost him most of the sight in one eye. He subsequently wore an
ocular prosthetic. While he was hospitalised in Lausanne, Sirikit visited him frequently. She met his mother,
The Princess Mother Sangwan, who asked her to continue her studies nearby so that the king could get to know her better. Bhumibol selected a boarding school for her in Lausanne, Riante Rive. A quiet engagement in Lausanne followed on 19 July 1949, just a week before his coronation. The marriage took place at
Srapathum Palace.
Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Grandmother presided over the marriage ceremony. Both the king and Sirikit signed on line 11 of their certificate of marriage. As she was not yet 18, her parents also signed, on line 12 directly under her signature. She later received the
Order of the Royal House of Chakri, and became queen. After the
coronation ceremony on 5 May 1950, both went back to Switzerland to continue their studies, and returned to Bangkok in 1952.
Regency (center), Princess
Hemvadi, Princess
Adisaya Suriyabha, Princess
Adorn Dibyanibha and Queen
Rambhai Barni (right) in 1950|256x256px When the king undertook the traditional period as a
Buddhist monk in 1956, Queen Sirikit acted as regent. on 20 September 1956 She took an oath of office amongst the
House of Representatives convened at the
Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall on 20 September 1956 when she was appointed regent by her husband. She performed her duties so well that she was officially named the
Regent of Thailand and the King gave her the title 'Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat' on his birthday, 5 December 1956. She became the second Siamese queen regent in Thai history. The first was
Queen Saovabha Phongsri of Siam, who served as regent when her husband King
Chulalongkorn travelled to Europe, and later became Queen Sri Patcharindra.
Issue Sirikit and Bhumibol had four children, thirteen grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Health issues and death announcement of Queen Sirikit's death, 24 October 2025 At dawn on 21 July 2012, Sirikit felt unsteady and staggered while exercising at
Siriraj Hospital, where her husband resided. After performing
magnetic resonance imaging, a team of physicians determined that she had suffered an
ischemic stroke. She refrained from further public appearances due to her treatment, including the grand audience granted by her husband on his 85th birthday from the
Ananta Samakhom Hall on 5 December 2012. On 29 November 2016, the palace announced that the queen had been discharged from the hospital and returned to the
Chitralada Royal Villa for recovery. Sirikit died at the
King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital at 21:21
ICT (14:21
UTC) on 24 October 2025, at the age of 93. The Thai Royal Household Bureau reported that she had died due to complications from a
blood infection after being hospitalized since 17 October. A year-long mourning period for government officials, as well as a 90-day mourning period for the general public, in her memory was declared by her son, King
Vajiralongkorn, and Thai prime minister
Anutin Charnvirakul. Flags in Thailand were also ordered to fly at
half-mast for 30 days. Her remains were laid in state in the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall of the Grand Palace in a royal coffin similar to that of her husband's beginning on Sunday, 26 October. ==Cultural status==