She lost her husband and four young daughters to the reign of terror of Pol Pot. But Princess Sisowath Sovethvong, 42-year-old granddaughter of the late King Monivong and first cousin of Prince Norodom Sihanouk, feels she has achieved ''a great victory'' in gaining the acceptance of the current Vietnamese-backed rulers and receiving distinctions from them.
''For me, a princess, to have become a daughter of the people makes me very happy,'' she said with vivacious gestures and determined gaiety. ''A member of the former ruling classes, I had to pass over many moral obstacles. How can a princess be trusted as a revolutionary?'' 'I'm Only a Patriot'