Sisowath Kossamak

Sisowath Kossamak (, ; 9 April 1904 – 27 April 1975) was Queen of Cambodia from 1955 to 1960 as the wife of King Norodom Suramarit and reigning Queen of Cambodia from 1960 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1970. After her husband's death in 1960, her son Norodom Sihanouk became chief of state, with Queen Kossamak performing as the ceremonial monarch. Sisowath Kossamak was born a Cambodian princess as the daughter of King Sisowath Monivong and his wife Norodom Kanviman Norleak Tevi. Her official title was Preah Mohaksatreiyani Sisowath Monivong Kossamak Nearirath Serey Vathana (, ).

Upon the death of Monivong in 1941, Sihanouk took the throne. In 1955, he abdicated in favor of his father Suramarit, who then reigned for five years. After her husband's death, Kossamak kept her title of Queen and continued to function as the symbol and representative of the monarchy while Sihanouk assumed his position as head of state, but titled as Prince rather than King. After the coup in March 1970, Kossamak was placed under arrest, but retained her title before being stripped of all status during the formal proclamation of the republic in October of the same year. She remained under house arrest until her health declined in 1973, and she was allowed to join her son in China. On 21 April 1975, Prince Sirik Matak was executed by firing squad at the Cercle Sportif in Phnom Penh, shortly after refusing evacuation and being captured by the orders of Angkar ("The Organization"). Kossamak died in Beijing on 27 April 1975, ten days after the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh, when "Angkar" came to power as the beginning of Year Zero, to build a new agrarian, socialist society of Democratic Kampuchea (DK), which was constituted on 5 January 1976.

Biography

Early life Family portrait of a young Norodom Sihanouk, Sisowath Kossamak, and Norodom Suramarit. Sisowath Kosamak was the daughter of King Sisowath Monivong and Queen Norodom Kanviman Norleak Tevi.

She married her prince Norodom Suramarit in 1920.

Upon the death of her father Monivong in 1941, Sihanouk, her son and Monivong's grandson, was selected as the new king.

In the 1940s, Kossamak famously choreographed the apsara dance by training her first grand daughter, Princess Norodom Bopha Devi, to become the first Apsara dancer.

1955–1960

In 1955, Sihanouk abdicated in favour of his father, making Kossamak queen consort. In 1955, Sihanouk married Princess Monique, with whom Kossamak was not on good terms, leading to advisories blaming Monique for the sometimes strained relationship between Kossamak and Sihanouk and for Sihanouk's alleged initial hesitance to abdicate, as it would make his mother queen. As queen, she received foreign guests and hosted state functions, where the Royal Ballet of Cambodia often performed.

Later life

After the Cambodian coup of 1970, Kossamak was forced to leave the royal palace by the new government and held in house arrest in one wing of Khemarin Palace to prevent her from becoming involved in any potential royalist uprising. She was however asked by the Khmer Republic government to mediate between her son and the National Assembly ‘in a last-ditch attempt to turn the people’s anger and save her son’.

She was allowed to join her son in Beijing in China for health reasons in 1973.

She died in Beijing in China on 27 April 1975, shortly before her son and daughter-in-law returned to Cambodia under the rule of Angkar, the new Marxist–Leninist organization after it came to power on 17 April and the beginning of Year Zero, following the Fall of Phnom Penh by the Khmer Rouge.

Honours

Foreign honours

Ethiopia:

Laos: