Norodom Sihamoni

Norodom Sihamoni
King of Cambodia
Reign 14 October 2004 – present
Coronation 29 October 2004
Predecessor Norodom Sihanouk
Prime Minister Hun Sen
Born (1953-05-14) 14 May 1953
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
House House of Norodom
Father Norodom Sihanouk
Mother Norodom Monineath
Religion Theravada Buddhism

Norodom Sihamoni (Khmer: នរោត្តម សីហមុនី; born 14 May 1953) is the King of Cambodia, which he became on 14 October 2004.[1] He is the eldest son of King Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Norodom Monineath. He was Cambodia's ambassador to UNESCO and named by a nine-member throne council to become the next king after his father Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in 2004. Before ascending the throne, Sihamoni was best known for his work as a cultural ambassador in Europe and as a classical dance instructor, a specialization he graduated from in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

The most prominent issue against the king is his laissez-faire policy towards Hun Sen's dictatorship in his own kingdom. Critics have called Norodom Sihamoni a "puppet monarch"[2] since his ascension in 2004.[3]

Early life

King Norodom Sihamoni at the Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Phnom Penh.

Sihamoni was born in 1953. At the time of his birth and that of his younger brother, his mother Monique Izzi, a Cambodian citizen of French-Corsican-Italian and Khmer ancestry, had been one of King Norodom Sihanouk's consorts after being a constant companion since the day they met in 1951, when she won first prize in a national beauty contest.[4] She was granted the title of Neak Moneang and the name of Monineath at the time of her marriage to King Norodom Sihanouk in 1952. Furthermore, Queen Monineath is a step-granddaughter of the late Prince Norodom Duongchak of Cambodia, and the daughter of Pomme Peang and of her second husband, Jean-François Izzi, a French-Italian banker.[5] The Royal Ark website entry about the genealogy of the Cambodian royal family states that Sihanouk and Monineath were married twice, once on 12 April 1952, when she was 15, and again ("more formally", according to the website) on 5 March 1955. She is described as Sihanouk's seventh wife.

Norodom Sihamoni has 14 half-brothers and half-sisters by his father; his only full sibling, a younger brother, Samdech Norodom Narindrapong, was born in 1954 and died in 2003.

King Norodom Sihamoni meeting with South Korean president Lee Myung-bak at the Royal Palace in 2009.

Studies and life abroad

He has spent most of his life outside Cambodia. As a child Sihamoni was sent to Prague, in then Czechoslovakia, by his father in 1962. During the 1970 coup d'état by Lon Nol, Sihamoni remained in Czechoslovakia, where he attended all three levels of education - elementary school, high school and AMU - Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, and studied classical dance and music almost continuously until 1975, when he graduated. As he spent almost his entire childhood and youth in Prague, the king is fluent in the Czech language. A movie directed by Vladimir Sís was shot about the prince in Prague in 1967, under the name "The Other Little Prince (Jiný malý princ).[6]

After graduation in 1975 he left Prague and began to study filmmaking in North Korea, and in 1977 returned to Cambodia. Immediately, the ruling Khmer Rouge government turned against the monarchy, and put the royal family including Sihamoni under house arrest until the 1979 Vietnamese invasion.

In 1981 he moved to France to teach ballet, and was later president of the Khmer Dance Association. He lived in France for nearly 20 years, regularly visiting Prague, where he had spent his childhood and youth.

In 1993 the prince was appointed Cambodia's delegate to UNESCO in Paris, where he became known for his hard work and his devotion to Cambodian culture. He had previously refused an appointment as Cambodia's ambassador to France.[7]

Languages

Besides his native Khmer, Norodom Sihamoni is the only ruling monarch who speaks Czech fluently.[8] The king is also fluent in French and is a good speaker of English and Russian.

Reign

On 14 October 2004 he was selected by a special nine-member council, part of a selection process that was quickly put in place after the surprise abdication of King Norodom Sihanouk a week before. Sihamoni's selection was endorsed by Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly Speaker Prince Norodom Ranariddh (the new king's half-brother), both members of the privy council. He was inaugurated and formally appointed as King on 29 October 2004.[9] King Sihamoni and his parents, King Father Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath, specifically requested that the ceremonies not be lavish because they did not wish the impoverished country to spend too much money on the event. On 29 October 2014, there were celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of his coronation.[10]

Sihamoni remains a bachelor and has no children. His father Norodom Sihanouk stated that Sihamoni "loves women as his sisters".[11]

Title

Royal family of Cambodia

HM The King

HM The Queen Mother

  • HRH Prince Norodom Ranariddh
    • HRH Prince Norodom Chakravuth
    • HRH Prince Norodom Sihariddh
    • HRH Princess Norodom Rattana Devi
    • HH Prince Norodom Sothearidh
    • HH Prince Norodom Ranavong
  • HRH Princess Norodom Bopha Devi
    • HRH Princess Sisowath Moni Kossoma
    • HRH Princess Sisowath Kalyan Tevi
    • HH Norodom Chansita Forsinetti
    • HRH Prince Sisowath Chivannariddh
    • HRH Prince Sisowath Veakchiravuddh
  • HRH Prince Norodom Yuvaneath
    Neak Moneang Norodom Kim Yuvaneath
    • HRH Princess Norodom Chhavann-rangsi
    • HRH Prince Norodom Yuveakduri
    • HRH Prince Norodom Veakchearavouth
      HRH Princess Norodom Veakchearavouth
    • HRH Prince Norodom Veakcharin
    • HRH Princess Norodom Pekina
    • HRH Princess Norodom Yuveakdevi
  • HRH Prince Norodom Chakrapong
    Neak Moneang Norodom Kachanipha Chakrapong
    • HRH Prince Norodom Buddhapong
    • HRH Prince Norodom Amarithivong
    • HRH Prince Norodom Naravong
    • HRH Prince Norodom Narithipong
    • HRH Prince Norodom Ravichak
    • HRH Princess Norodom Nanda Dévi
    • HRH Princess Norodom Vimalea
    • HRH Princess Norodom Bophary
    • HRH Prince Norodom Ithipong
    • HRH Prince Norodom Rindra
    • HRH Prince Norodom Charurak
    • HRH Prince Norodom Pongmonirith
    • HRH Princess Norodom Pongsoriya
  • HRH Prince Norodom Narindrapong
    • HRH Princess Norodom Simonarine
    • HRH Princess Norodom Moninouk
  • HRH Princess Norodom Arunrasmy
    HE Keo Puth Rasmey
    • HRH Prince Sisowath Nakia
    • HRH Prince Sisowath Nando
    • HRH Princess Sisowath Sirikith Nathalie
    • HRH Princess Keo Ponita
    • HRH Prince Keo Khemuni
Styles of
The King of Cambodia
Reference style His Majesty
Spoken style Your Majesty
Alternative style Sire

Before he was crowned king, his royal title was: Sdech Krom Khun (Khmer: ស្តេចក្រុមឃុន), equating him to the rank of "Great Prince". As king, his title is: Preah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdach Preah Bâromneath Norodom Sihamoni Saman Bhumichat Sasana Rakkhata Khattiya Khmeraratrat Putthintra Mohaksat Khemareacheana Samuhobhas Kampuchea Ekareacharath Bureanasanti Subheamagala Sirivibunla Khmera Sri Bireat Preah Chao Krung Kampuchea Dhibodi (in romanized Khmer); Khmer: ព្រះករុណាព្រះបាទសម្តេចព្រះបរមនាថ នរោត្តម សីហមុនី សមានភូមិជាតិសាសនា រក្ខតខត្តិយា ខេមរារដ្ឋរាស្ត្រ ពុទ្ធិន្ទ្រាធរាមមហាក្សត្រ ខេមរាជនា សមូហោភាស កម្ពុជឯករាជរដ្ឋបូរណសន្តិ សុភមង្គលា សិរីវិបុលា ខេមរាស្រីពិរាស្ត្រ ព្រះចៅក្រុងកម្ពុជាធិបតី roughly translating to: "His Merciful Excellent Majesty Protector, King Norodom Sihamoni, who united the nation, religion, realm, and people of Khmer state, great king who is supported by Buddha and Indra, protector of independence, unification, and peace, King of Cambodia, the Great King in the Kingdom of Cambodia". His given name, Sihamoni, comprises two morphemes from his parent's given names, Sihanouk and Monineath.

Advisory court

On 12 December 2008, Sihamoni selected twenty-six members of the Cambodian royal family to his advisory court, among them his half-brother Prince Norodom Ranariddh as chief advisor. Other choices included Prince Sisowath Sirirath, Princess Norodom Marie (estranged wife of Prince Ranariddh) and Prince Sisowath Thomico.[12]

Criticism

The King of Cambodia is immune to criticism as mandated by law. All forms of criticism are subjected to government subjugation, which include civilian imprisonment and torture. Due to this, most of the king's critics are living in exile, self-imposed or government-imposed. The most prominent issue against the king is his laissez-faire policy towards Hun Sen's dictatorship in his own kingdom. Critics have called Norodom Sihamoni a "puppet monarch"[13] since his ascension in 2004.[14] He has been subjected to internet trolls accusing him of being homosexual.[15]

Ancestry

Patronages

Honours

Foreign honours

References

  1. ↑ "People and Society ::Cambodia".
  2. ↑ http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43209362/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/t/cambodias-king-prisoner-his-palace/#.Ww6NEDSFPIU
  3. ↑ https://www.economist.com/asia/2012/11/17/tenth-out-of-ten
  4. ↑ "The First Lady of the Kingdom"; The Royal House of Cambodia by Julio A. Jeldres, 2003 OCLC 54003889
  5. ↑ King's biography Archived 27 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ http://www.csfd.cz/film/292603-jiny-maly-princ/komentare/ Movie "The Other Little Prince"
  7. ↑ The Weekend Australian, 16–17 October 2004
  8. ↑ King Sihamoni of Cambodia receives warm welcome in Prague, Radio Prague, 20 September 2006
  9. ↑ "In Pictures: King Sihamoni's coronation". BBC News. 29 October 2004. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  10. ↑ Willemyns, Alex (29 October 2014). "10 Years into Sihamoni's Reign, A Changed Palace". The Cambodia Daily. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "CAMBOA21". Royalark.net. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  12. ↑ More royals could face political exit Phnom Penh Post, 12 December 2008
  13. ↑ http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43209362/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/t/cambodias-king-prisoner-his-palace/#.Ww6NEDSFPIU
  14. ↑ https://www.economist.com/asia/2012/11/17/tenth-out-of-ten
  15. ↑ "The Real Danger of Cambodia's 'Gay King' Episode". The Diplomat. 12 January 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  16. ↑ Royal Ark
  17. ↑ Embassy of Cambodia
  18. ↑ Sobola, Marek (2017). Príbeh svätojánsky, Socha sv. Jána Nepomuckého v Divine / The Story of St. John, Statue of St. John of Nepomuk in Divina / ដំណើររឿងរបស់ St. John, រូបចម្លាក់ St. John Nepomuk នៅក្រុង Divina / Die Johannisgeschichte, Die Staute des hl. Johannes Nepomuk in Divina / Историята на св. Ян, Статуята на св. Ян Непомуцки в Дивина. Slovakia: Servare et Manere, o. z. & Kysucké múzeum v Čadci. pp. 74–76. ISBN 978-80-972614-3-6.
  19. ↑ www.tkkbs.sk. "Biskup Galis požehnal obnovenú sochu sv. Jána Nepomuckého v Divine". www.tkkbs.sk. Retrieved 2017-07-29.

Further reading

  • Miroslav Nožina, Jiří Šitler, and Karel Kučera. Royal Ties: King Norodom Sihamoni and the History of Czech-Cambodian Relations. Prague: Knižní klub, 2006. ISBN 978-80-86938-75-2
Norodom Sihamoni
Born: 14 May 1953
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Norodom Sihanouk		 King of Cambodia
2004–present		 Incumbent
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