June 18 marks the birthday of the Queen Mother, former Queen consort of King Sihanouk. Queen Mother’s Birthday is celebrated with a public holiday and explosive fireworks display in Phnom Penh.
Queen Mother Norodom Monineath
Queen Mother Norodom Monineath was born on June 18, 1936, in the southern Vietnamese city of Saigon – now Ho Chi Minh City. The Queen Mother was born to a French father and Cambodian mother and given the birth name, Paule-Monique Izzi. At the time, Vietnam formed part of French Indochina.
She met King Norodom Sihanouk in 1951 when she took part in a beauty contest. He awarded her the top spot and a year later, they wed and became husband and wife. She enjoyed a short stint as queen consort of Cambodia from 1952 until 1955, when King Sihanouk stepped down as king to play prime minister. She took up the position again from 1993, when he stepped back into the role of king, until he abdicated in 2004. This made her Norodom Monineath the Queen Mother.
Charitable Work
Her main state duties include welcoming both Khmer and foreign dignitaries. In addition, she carries out charitable work. This includes Samdech Euv Team, which was founded by the late King Father to build hospitals, clinics, schools, fishponds and houses for the country’s impoverished.
When is the Queen Mother’s Birthday?
An annual public holiday on 18 June each year.
