BANGKOK: The year-long funeral ceremony of Thailand&#39;s former Queen Sirikit started on Sunday, with grieving royalists set to salute the procession bringing her remains to lie in state at Bangkok&#39;s Grand Palace. 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. Former Queen Sirikit, the mother of the current King Vajiralongkorn and wife of the nation&#39;s longest-reigning monarch, died late Friday at the age of 93. Digital advertising billboards in the Thai capital are displaying towering black tributes to the royal matriarch, while citizens have been asked to wear dark tones and curtail celebratory public events. The former queen&#39;s body is due late on Sunday afternoon to make the short trip from Chulalongkorn Hospital to the seat of the Thai royalty, where she will lie in state for one year before cremation. Throughout her 66-year marriage to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Sirikit carved a dual reputation as a glittering fashionista and the nation&#39;s caring mother figure. Some Western media compared Sirikit favourably to former US first lady Jackie Kennedy in rapturous coverage of her tenure on the front pages of their glossy magazines. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul delayed his departure to Malaysia on Saturday for a summit of ASEAN leaders where he was due to sign a peace deal with Cambodia, witnessed by US President Donald Trump. But he still jetted out for a quick turnaround endorsement of the pact, made after cross-border clashes in July killed more than 40 people and forced around 300,000 to flee their homes. &quot;I send my condolences to the Great People of Thailand,&quot; Trump said on social media, en route to Malaysia on Sunday morning. &quot;In order to accommodate everyone for this major event, we will be signing the Peace Deal immediately upon arrival.&quot; Sirikit&#39;s husband King Bhumibol Adulyadej&#39;s lengthy reign from 1946 until 2016 was bookended by World War II and Trump&#39;s first inauguration. Though Bhumibol&#39;s son inherited the throne about nine years ago, many still revere him as the nation&#39;s most steadfast figurehead -- and Sirikit as his constant companion. She retired from the public eye in recent years, her privacy sealed by strict lese majeste laws that limit what can be reported about the royal family. Sirikit had &quot;suffered several illnesses&quot; while hospitalized since 2019, including a blood infection this month, the palace said in a statement. But in her glamorous heyday in the 1960s she mingled with US presidents and superstars such as Elvis Presley, while at home touring Thailand to visit villagers in rural areas. She was referred to as the &quot;Mother of the Nation&quot; and her birthday was designated the country&#39;s Mothers&#39; Day.

Asia

Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit, revered as the “Mother of the Nation,” died at 93. Her year-long funeral began Sunday in Bangkok. Citizens mourn publicly, while the royal family remains central to Thailand’s cultural and political life.

Year-long funeral starts for Thailand's former queen Sirikit

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Duchess of Kent and member of the royal family, Katharine, died at the age of 92, the royal family said in a statement on Friday.&nbsp;&quot;It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Kent,&rdquo; according to the statement, posted on the royal family&rsquo;s official Instagram handle.&nbsp;&ldquo;Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family,&rdquo; it noted.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/theroyalfamily/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=efb927c1-bdbe-47cf-808c-d06f9c13a28e">https://www.instagram.com/theroyalfamily/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=efb927c1-bdbe-47cf-808c-d06f9c13a28e</a>&nbsp;&ldquo;The King and Queen and all Members of The Royal Family join The Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly The Duchess&rsquo;s life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people,&rdquo; Buckingham Palace concluded.&nbsp;As reported by&nbsp;Sky News, the Union Flag at the Palace was also lowered to half-mast to respect the duchess&#39;s death.&nbsp;The deceased royal family member was known for consoling Wimbledon finalists.&nbsp;The Duchess of Kent married the Duke of Kent, late Queen Elizabeth II&rsquo;s cousin, in 1961 and has become the oldest member of the family following the demise of King Charles&#39;s mother.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Duchess, who preferred to be known simply as Katharine Kent or Kate, carved out a unique path away from the glare of royal life, finding profound meaning as a music teacher in state schools.&nbsp;Married to the Duke of Kent, a cousin of the late Queen, she dedicated 13 years to teaching in a primary school in Hull, embracing a low-key existence far removed from the royal spotlight.&nbsp;Beyond her teaching career, the duchess was an unassuming charity worker, demonstrating remarkable compassion and understanding. She volunteered for the Samaritans and travelled globally as a UNICEF ambassador.

Europe

The Union Flag at Buckingham Palace was also lowered to half-mast to respect the duchess's death

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Year-long funeral starts for Thailand's former queen Sirikit

Duchess of Kent dies at 92

Year-long funeral starts for Thailand's former queen Sirikit