Cambodia & Royalty: Birthday of His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni
- Christophe Gargiulo
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Cambodia will celebrate the 72nd birthday of His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, son of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Norodom Monineath, on Wednesday, May 14.
Biography
His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni (នរោត្តម សីហមុនី) is the eldest of two sons of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Norodom Monineath. The name Sihamoni is a combination of Sihanouk and Monineath.
When Norodom Sihamoni was born, Cambodia was gaining independence from France, which had maintained a protectorate over the kingdom until then.
Unfortunately, the newly formed nation was also on the brink of a long period of war and unrest in the region, and Prince Sihamoni spent much of his life outside Cambodia.
Early years
From an early age, Norodom Sihamoni showed a talent for the arts. The young prince left to study in Czechoslovakia at the age of nine and, at 14, he starred in “The Little Prince,” a film directed by his father, who was a great lover of cinema.
After King Sihanouk was deposed in the 1970 coup, the prince remained in Prague, where he attended the National Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts, focusing on dance, music, and theater. A documentary directed by Vladimir Sís was filmed about the prince in Prague in 1967, entitled “The Other Little Prince (Jiný malý princ)”.
See an excerpt below:
1975
In 1975, the prince joined his father in North Korea and continued his studies in film. He then followed his parents back to Phnom Penh, where the totalitarian Khmer Rouge regime was in power. He was kept under house arrest in the royal palace. Several of his brothers and sisters were murdered during this dark period in the kingdom's history.
After the Khmer Rouge
After the fall of Pol Pot, the family was evacuated to China, where Norodom Sihamoni worked with his father for two years. In 1981, he moved to Paris and became a ballet teacher. He formed his own dance troupe, called Ballet Deva.
The sovereign choreographed some of the troupe's most beautiful performances and directed two films about dance. In 1992, he was appointed permanent representative of Cambodia to the United Nations.
In 1993, the year his father returned to the kingdom, Norodom Sihamoni became Cambodia's permanent representative to UNESCO, a position he held until 2004. A staunch Francophile, the monarch is also fluent in English, Czech, and Russian.
Coronation ceremony
Coronation
On October 14, 2004, Norodom Sihamoni was designated by a special council of nine members, as part of a selection process quickly put in place after the surprise abdication of King Norodom Sihanouk. The selection was approved by Prime Minister Hun Sen and the President of the National Assembly, Prince Norodom Ranariddh (the new king's half-brother). Norodom Sihamoni was officially named king on October 29, 2004.
As a constitutional monarch, his prerogatives are defined by the constitution of September 24, 1993, which, in Article 7, stipulates that the King of Cambodia reigns but does not exercise power. Fears that the young monarch might struggle to live up to the reputation of his charismatic and politically astute father were dispelled when, at the beginning of his reign, he proved himself to be a dignified ruler, humble towards his people and eager to reach out to the Cambodian people.
In addition to numerous diplomatic trips abroad, the king regularly visits villages in rural provinces to bring aid and talk with local people. During the pandemic and lockdown, the sovereign and the Queen Mother made numerous donations to the most disadvantaged people affected by the problems caused by the health crisis.
CG - AKP photographs
Comments