Thailand is mourning the death of Queen Mother Sirikit, a royal icon whose grace, philanthropy and influence helped shape the country’s modern monarchy. She passed away at the age of 93, the Thai Royal Household Bureau confirmed on Saturday. Sirikit had been largely absent from public life since suffering a stroke in 2012.

Who was Queen Mother Sirikit?

Born in 1932, the year Thailand transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one, Sirikit Kitiyakara was the daughter of Thailand’s ambassador to France. She grew up in wealth and privilege, studying music and languages in Paris. It was there that she met her future husband, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who had spent part of his childhood in Switzerland.

As Thailand’s queen consort, she stood beside Bhumibol during his 70-year r

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