Sirikit

She is the eldest daughter and the third child of Prince Nakkhatra Mangkala Kitiyakara, the son of Prince Kitiyakara Voralaksana, and Mom Luang Bua Snidvongs (1909–1999).

Her name, which was given by Queen Rambai Barni, means "the greatness of Kitiyakara".

She had three siblings, two elder brothers and a younger sister:

Sirikit was raised by her maternal grandparents for a year after her birth, since her father was in the United States to work as the secretary of the Siamese Embassy at Washington, D.C. Her mother joined her husband three months later.

When she was one year old, her parents returned to Thailand.

Sirikit lived together with her family in Deves Palace, near the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok.

As a child, Sirikit often visited her paternal grandmother.

Sirikit (born Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara; 12 August 1932) is the Queen Mother of Thailand as the mother of King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X).

Sirikit was born on 12 August 1932, at the home of Lord Vongsanuprabhand, her maternal grandfather.

Once in 1933, she travelled with Princess Absornsaman Devakula following King Prajadhipok's tour in Songkhla.

At age four, Sirikit attended the Kindergarten College at Rajini School (sometimes called the Queen's College), where she studied at the primary level.

During that time the Pacific War was being fought.

Bangkok was bombed many times, especially the rail lines, making travel unsafe.

She therefore moved to Saint Francis Xavier Convent School, since it was near the palace.

She studied at Saint Francis Xavier from her second primary year through the early secondary level.

In 1946, with the war now over, her father moved to the United Kingdom as the ambassador to the Court of St James's, taking his family with him.

Sirikit was then 13 and completed her secondary education.

While in England she learned to play the piano and became fluent in English and French.

Because of her father's work as a diplomat, the family moved to other countries, including Denmark and France.

While in France, she studied at a music academy in Paris.

Also in France, Sirikit met King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was related to her, since both were descendants of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).

At that time, Bhumibol had ascended to the throne and was studying in Switzerland.

Bhumibol and Sirikit (as well as a few other students) were staying at the Royal Thai Embassy in Paris.

Sirikit accompanied the king as he visited various tourist attractions, and they found that they had much in common.

On 4 October 1948, while Bhumibol was driving a Fiat Topolino on the Geneva-Lausanne road, he collided into the rear of a braking truck 10 km outside of Lausanne.

He injured his back and incurred cuts on his face that cost him most of the sight in one eye.

He subsequently wore an ocular prosthetic.

While he was hospitalised in Lausanne, Sirikit visited him frequently.

She met his mother, The Princess Mother Sangwan, who asked her to continue her studies nearby so that the king could get to know her better.

Bhumibol selected a boarding school for her in Lausanne, Riante Rive.

A quiet engagement in Lausanne followed on 19 July 1949, and the couple married on 28 April 1950, just a week before his coronation.

The marriage took place at Srapathum Palace.

Queen Sri Savarindira, the Queen Grandmother presided over the marriage ceremony.

She was Queen of Thailand from 1950 to 2016 as the wife of King Bhumibol (Rama IX).

She met Bhumibol in Paris, where her father was Thai ambassador.

They married in 1950, shortly before Bhumibol's coronation.

Sirikit was appointed queen regent in 1956, when the king entered the Buddhist monkhood for a period of time.

Sirikit has one son and three daughters with the king.

Consort of the monarch who was, at the time the world's longest-reigning head of state, she was also the world's longest-serving queen consort.

Sirikit suffered a stroke in 2012 and has since refrained from public appearances.