Norodom Sihamoni Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

Norodom Sihamoni is the current King of Cambodia, who was crowned in 2004.

Childhood And Legacy

Norodom Sihamoni was born on 14th of May, 1953 to King Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Norodom Monineath.

Norodom Sihamoni is the eldest son of the King, with one full blood brother Samdech Norodom Narindrapong, who died in 2003. He also has fourteen half-siblings by his father.

Education

Norodom Sihamoni studied in Norodom School and Descartes High School in Phnom Penh until 1962,

when he transferred to Prague High School in Czechoslovakia. During the 1970 coup d'état by Lon Nol, Norodom Sihamoni remain in Prague for his education.

Norodom Sihamoni focused on classical dance and music, studying in AMU: Academy of Performing Arts, in Prague. He graduated a Master's Degree in Musical Art in Prague. Later he studied cinematography in North Korea.

On his return to Cambodia in 1977, the ruling Khmer Rouge government staged a coup, and the royal family, with Sihamoni and brother Norodom Narindrapong placed under house arrest until the Vietnamese invasion in 1979.

Career

After the house arrest was lifted, Norodom Sihamoni briefly served his father King Sihanouk as his private secretary when they were in China for a year. In 1981, he moved to France. He worked as the Professor of Classical Dance and artistic pedagogy.

Norodom Sihamoni was employed at the Marius Petipa Conservatory, the Gabriel Faure Conservatory and the W. A. Mozart Conservatory in Paris until 2000.

Norodom Sihamoni was also the president of the Khmer Dance Association in France in 1984, at the same time he was a general manager and Artistic Director groups and corporations.

In 1992, Norodom Sihamoni was unanimously chosen to represent Cambodia as a permanent representative in United Nations. The next year, he was the delegate for the country to UNESCO Paris.

Norodom Sihamoni was given the official title of Sdech Krom Kuhn, the Great Prince in 1994. In 2004, he was Member of the High Council of French-speaking countries. His father, King Norodom Sihanouk gave him the Rank of Samdech Preah Baromneath or Sacred Supreme Lord in August 2004.

Ascendency

Norodom Sihamoni was made King of Cambodia when King Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in October 2004. He was chosen to be a successor by a nine-member throne council. Including Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly Speaker Prince Norodom Ranariddh.

Norodom Sihamoni inauguration and anointment took place on 29th of October. The crowning took place at The marine Palace, it was not a lavish ceremony, as the previous King sought to save money for the people.

Many thought that he was chosen as a Puppet King, as he poses no threat to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Private Life

King Norodom Sihamoni is a bachelor and a Buddhist. Even though he does not have a direct successor, it will pose no problem as the throne council selects kings in Cambodia.

Awards

Norodom Sihamoni has a few Royal Cambodian Awards, as well as Legion Honneur GO ribbon for France, and JPN Daikun'i kikkasho from Japan. He is also an Honorary Citizen of the City of Prague.