Thailand’s King and Queen Honour Queen Mother Sirikit at First Anniversary Memorial
Thailand’s King and Queen Honour Queen Mother Sirikit at First Anniversary Memorial
BANGKOK, October 24, 2026 — King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida presided over a royal merit-making ceremony at Bangkok’s Grand Palace on Saturday to mark the first anniversary of the passing of Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother.
Their Majesties arrived at Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall at 5:21 p.m. to participate in Buddhist memorial rites attended by senior members of the royal family and a monastic assembly led by Thailand’s Supreme Patriarch.
Royal Tributes and Buddhist Memorial Rites
The King and Queen began the ceremony by placing wreaths before the Queen Mother’s royal urn, lighting ceremonial incense and candles, and paying their respects.
The King also lit incense and candles before a Buddha image associated with the Queen Mother’s birthday, positioned near the Nine-tiered Great White Umbrella of State.
His Holiness Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatanana, Thailand’s Supreme Patriarch, presided over the religious assembly, where 30 Buddhist monks recited sacred chants and special verses.
During three rounds of offerings, the King presented ten sets of monastic robes as monks conducted memorial rites and bestowed blessings. The King later lit a ceremonial candle for a Buddhist sermon, with the royal couple participating in the accompanying incense and candle rituals.
At the King’s request, Queen Suthida approached the royal urn to light additional incense and candles as part of a rite inviting the Queen Mother to hear the sermon.
The Most Venerable Somdet Phra Maha Ratchmongkhon Muni, assistant abbot of Wat Traimit Witthayaram, administered Buddhist precepts and delivered a sermon titled Piyakarana Dhamma Katha, which concerns the qualities that make a person loved.
Following the sermon and the recitation of Buddhist verses by four monks, the King made further religious offerings, including robes and other requisites. Their Majesties then performed the traditional water-pouring ceremony to dedicate merit to the Queen Mother, followed by blessings from the monks.
The royal couple paid their final respects before the urn. The King also lit incense and candles at the eastern and western ceremonial platforms used for Abhidhamma chanting in the throne hall’s northern portico before their departure.
Queen Sirikit’s Legacy of Public Service and Cultural Preservation
Queen Sirikit was born on August 12, 1932, to His Serene Highness Prince Nakkhatra Mangala Kitiyakara, later known as Prince Chandaburi Suranath, and Mom Luang Bua Kitiyakara.
She married King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great at Sra Pathum Palace on April 28, 1950. The couple had four children.
Throughout her life, Queen Sirikit supported royal initiatives in public health, environmental protection and natural-resource conservation. Through the SUPPORT Foundation, she promoted local handicrafts, supported traditional artisans and helped preserve Thailand’s traditional knowledge.
The anniversary ceremony honoured the late Queen Mother’s life and legacy through traditional Buddhist rites and royal acts of merit-making.
