As the wife of the longest reigning monarch in the world, His Majesty King Bhumibol (Rama the IX), Her Majesty Queen Sirikit is also the world’s longest reigning royal consort, having presided over the Kingdom of Thailand in her royal role for over 6o years.
As a young queen, she rose to prominence in part for her grace and beauty. Embracing the elegance of Thai silks, she played a key role in the revival and growth of this Thai art, and in the period surrounding Thailand’s Mother’s Day celebrations, you are likely to see a number of portraits of her from throughout her reign, clad in exquisite dresses of this quintessentially Thai material. Her Majesty is also renowned for extensive charity work, including the work of the Thai Red Cross and numerous development projects throughout the country.
Regarded as Mother of the Nation, Queen Sirikit’s birthday has been declared Thailand’s official Mother’s Day. On August 12th of each year, the two occasions are celebrated in concert – with public festivities such as parades and ceremonies and private family get-togethers and intimate outpourings of emotion between mother and child.