In celebration of Queen Sirikit’s birthday, photographs of Her Majesty are displayed outside many buildings throughout Thailand every year so that people can pay their respects.
This beautiful homage to the Thai queen is currently displayed outside Bangkok’s Hotel Indigo on Wireless Road, and was a lovely opportunity for a Featured Photo as I walked past.
The Thai Queen’s birthday is on the 12th August, which is also Thailand’s official Mother’s Day celebration, as Queen Sirikit is known as the “Queen Mother of the country”.
Queen Sirikit was born on 12 August 1932, and so is 83-years-old this year.
She is the oldest daughter and third child of Prince Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara.
Queen Sirikit was educated in Thailand and in Europe (primarily in England, Denmark and France) and is known to speak both English and French fluently.
She met King Bhumibol Adulyadej before his coronation when both of them, along with several groups of Thai students, were staying at the Royal Thai Embassy in Paris.
After a short engagement, she married the King on the 28th April, 1950, just a week before the his coronation, and while she was still just 17-years-old at the time.
In the next seven years, the Queen gave birth to one son and three daughters — Princess Ubolratana on April 5th, 1951, Prince Vajiralongkorn on the 28th July, 1952, Princess Sirindhorn on April 2nd, 1955 and Princess Chulabhorn on the 4th July, 1957.
Her son Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn is the next in line to the Thai throne.
Happy Birthday to Her Majesty the Queen.