As Thailand mourns the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother, cherished memories of the grace, compassion and strength she embodied throughout her life are resurfacing.
For more than seven decades, she was regarded as the nation’s “mother”, standing steadfastly beside her late husband, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, in service to their people.
Photo courtesy of "We love the Chakri Dynasty Facebook page"
The youngest queen
Queen Sirikit became the world’s youngest queen when she was crowned, aged 18, on May 5, 1950.
From that moment, she worked tirelessly alongside the King, dedicating her life to improving the welfare of Thai people.
Just six years after her coronation, she took the reins as regent for 15 days when King Bhumibol entered the monkhood on October 22, 1956.
Deeply impressed by her devotion and capability as acting sovereign, the King granted her the title of Phra Borommarajininat (Queen Regent), elevating her from Phra Borommarajini (Queen Consort).
She became only the second Queen Regent in Thailand’s long history – the other being Queen Saovabha Phongsri, who served during King Chulalongkorn’s travels overseas in the late 19th century.
Photo courtesy of "We love the Chakri Dynasty Facebook page"
A maternal figure
In the book “100 Stories About My Queen”, Thanpuying Narawadi Chaichanien, a long-serving lady-in-waiting to Queen Sirikit, describes how the queen approached her royal duties with a mother’s heart.
“She looked upon her people as her children,” Narawadi explained – one reason why August 12, Queen Sirikit’s birthday, has been observed as National Mother’s Day since 1976.
Each time the Queen met her subjects, she would ask about their families, livelihoods and concerns, offering help wherever she could.
If she discovered that a family’s children were not in school, she would encourage them to enrol in an institution under royal patronage.
“Her Majesty would speak to the children herself and ask if they wished to study and live in the palace grounds,” Narawadi recalled. “If they hesitated, she would personally talk to their parents.”
Many youngsters living in remote areas were able to complete their education thanks to the Queen’s generosity – some of them going on to travel abroad to earn master’s degrees.
“Many of them were really within the compound of Dusit Palace as students of Chitralada Vocational School,” Narawadi added.
Established under the Queen’s guidance, the school provided Thai craft training to those under royal care.
After graduation, thousands of these students returned to their hometowns, helping to drive local development and improve rural livelihoods.
A caring heart
In the same book, fellow lady-in-waiting Thanpuying Pannawadi Chutharatkul recalled how the Queen’s empathy helped her sense people’s emotions even in a crowd.
“She told us that we must look into people’s eyes, as the eyes reveal everything,” Pannawadi said. “She reminded us not to judge by appearances, as people always wear their best clothes when meeting their Queen.”
The Queen was renowned for listening intently to everyone who came to her, never imposing a time limit.
The ladies-in-waiting recalled her frequent reminder: “When you work, work with your heart. Don’t take things for granted, because people have feelings just as you do.”
Thanpuying Poranee Mahanont, the Queen’s deputy private secretary, once observed that she took notes during her meetings with the public and later used them to follow up on individual cases.
Dr Pakorn Chandanamattha, a physician who often accompanied the royal entourage on provincial visits, described witnessing many examples of her love and compassion.
“I was once so moved by Her Majesty’s kindness that tears rolled down my cheeks. It’s a pity that the depth of her love and care could never truly be captured on television,” he said.
