Thailand's former Queen Sirikit, the mother of the current King Vajiralongkorn and wife of the nation's longest-reigning monarch, died late Friday at the age of 93, the palace said.

The royal family is venerated in Thailand, treated by many as semi-divine figures and lavished with glowing media coverage and gold-adorned portraits hanging in public spaces and private homes nationwide.

"It a great loss to the nation," said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Saturday, adding that he would delay his departure to a weekend summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Malaysia.

Throughout her 66-year marriage to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Sirikit carved a dual reputation as a fashionista and the nation's caring matriarch -- with some Western media featuring her on magazine covers and comparing her t

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