Thailand stands still in solemn reverence as the nation bids farewell to Queen Mother Sirikit, a towering figure of grace and influence, who has passed away at age 93, as the New York Post reports.

The beloved Queen Mother, a symbol of elegance and dedication to rural development, died late on Friday after a prolonged battle with illness, sparking a wave of national mourning and tributes across the country.

Born in 1932, during Thailand's shift to a constitutional monarchy, Sirikit Kitiyakara grew up in privilege as the daughter of the Thai ambassador to France.

From Paris romance to royal duty

Her life took a fateful turn in Paris, where she met King Bhumibol Adulyadej while studying music and language, leading to their engagement in 1949 and marriage a year later in 1950, when she was just 17. Together with King Bhumibol, Thailand’s longest-reigning monarch, who ruled for 70 years since 1946, Sirikit became a partner in both love and duty, shaping a legacy that endured for decades.

“It was hate at first sight. Then it was love,” Sirikit once reflected in a BBC documentary, capturing the unexpected spark of a romance that became a cornerstone of Thai history.

Her influence shone brightly in her collaboration with French designer Pierre Balmain, crafting stunning outfits from Thai silk and breathing new life into the nation’s traditional weaving industry. For over four decades, she accompanied King Bhumibol to remote villages, championing development for the rural poor, their efforts broadcast nightly on the Royal Bulletin to inspire national unity. Even briefly stepping into the role of regent in 1956 while her husband studied as a Buddhist monk, Sirikit proved her mettle, balancing tradition with a quiet strength that modern progressives might overlook in their rush to redefine royalty.

Political shadows amid royal grace

Though the Thai monarchy officially remains above politics, Sirikit’s actions occasionally stirred debate, like her 1998 birthday speech urging support for then-Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, subtly thwarting opposition plans.

In 2008, her attendance at the funeral of a People’s Alliance for Democracy protester hinted at royal backing for a movement that toppled a government tied to controversial figure Thaksin Shinawatra.

Such moments remind us that even revered figures navigate complex waters, often misunderstood by those pushing divisive, hyper-modern agendas that ignore cultural roots.

Final years, national grief

After a stroke in 2012, Sirikit retreated from public view, and her health declined further, leading to hospitalization since 2019 and a fatal bloodstream infection on Oct. 17..

Her passing, announced by the Royal Household Bureau on Saturday, prompted a year-long mourning period for the royal family and government officials, with public offices lowering flags to half-mast for a month.

As mourners clad in black gathered outside Chulalongkorn Hospital, one Bangkok resident, Maneenat Laowalert, 67, shared, “When I learned the news, my world stopped and I had flashes from the past of all the things that Her Majesty has done for us.”

A legacy beyond mourning

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul canceled a key ASEAN summit trip but will briefly travel to Malaysia on Sunday, for the formalization of a cease-fire agreement with Cambodia, before returning to honor the mourning period.

The government has urged the private sector to tone down festive events, while even K-pop group Blackpink, with a Thai member, proceeds with concerts but requests fans wear black and white in respect—a small gesture in a world often too quick to dismiss tradition.

Survived by her son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and three daughters, Sirikit leaves behind a legacy of elegance, service, and subtle strength, her birthday still celebrated as Mother’s Day since 1976, a fitting tribute to a woman who mothered a nation’s spirit.