Death of Former Cambodian King

The former King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk, has died. He passed away in a Beijing hospital today after suffering a heart attack. He was eighty-nine years old.

Norodom Sihanouk was King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955, and then again from 1993 to 2004, when he abdicated in favour of his son Norodom Sihamoni. His abdication stemmed from ill health: the King battled cancer three times (first in 1993, then in 2005 and 2008), and suffered from hypertension and diabetes. He had been spent the last ten months in China for medical treatment.

He was instrumental in Cambodia gaining independence from French rule in the early 1950s.

King Norodom Sihanouk’s son, King Norodom Sihamoni, departed from Phnom Penh earlier today en route to Beijing. King Norodom Sihamoni will return his father’s body to Cambodia on Wednesday, where the former King will lie in state for three months before a state funeral.

Filed under Cambodia
Tagged Death, King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.

2 Responses to Death of Former Cambodian King