Her Majesty Queen Monique
Monday, June 18, the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, is a public holiday in Cambodia. It is yet another occasion for celebrations for the people and visitors of the kingdom, and for the editorial team of *Voyage Seripheap*, it is an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary life of the woman known as Norodom Monineath, often affectionately called Queen Monique.
Birth and meeting with Sihanouk
Paule-Monique Izzi was born in Saigon, Cochinchina, on June 18, 1936, at a time when her father, Jean-François Izzi, of Corsican origin, was the director of the Crédit foncier de l'Indochine. After World War II and the death of her husband, Pomme Peang, Monique’s mother returned to Phnom Penh, her hometown, to enroll her daughter at the Lycée René Descartes. The story takes on the charm of a fairy tale when, in 1951, the beautiful young woman won a beauty contest. She was then introduced to King Norodom Sihanouk for the award ceremony. The monarch, although already married several times, seemed immediately captivated, and, renouncing polygamy, he chose to marry her privately the following year, in 1952. In 1953, while her husband was leading the country’s struggle for independence, Monique gave birth to Prince Norodom Sihamoni, the current King of Cambodia. Cambodia’s independence was officially proclaimed on November 9, 1953. A second son, Prince Norodom Narindrapong, was born the following year, completing the royal family. In 1955, a second marriage was celebrated more formally, solidifying Monique’s union with Norodom Sihanouk, who, although still at the head of the state, had abdicated in favor of his father in March of that same year, becoming prince once more.
Under the Khmer Rouge
Often described as a privileged advisor to Sihanouk, Princess Monique was also the President of the Cambodian Red Cross from 1967 to 1970. In 1970, she joined her husband in exile in China following the Cambodian coup d'état. She became his most loyal supporter, accompanying him on his return to Phnom Penh in April 1975 when he was appointed Head of State by the Khmer Rouge. From 1976 onward, many members of the royal family were executed, but the couple, placed under house arrest (likely for political reeducation), escaped death, contrary to Pol Pot’s intentions. In January 1979, Norodom Sihanouk and his wife were evacuated by the Chinese, and they would not return to the Cambodian capital until more than a decade later, in November 1991, to the cheers of a massive crowd that lined the route from the airport to the royal palace.
Becoming the Queen Mother
On September 24, 1993, Cambodia’s constitution was amended to establish the country as a constitutional monarchy, and Norodom Sihanouk became King once again, elevating his wife to the rank of Samdech Preah Mohesey Norodom Monineath of Cambodia. After several unsuccessful attempts to amend the constitution to allow his wife to continue her reign as regent, the King decided in 2004 to abdicate in favor of his son. Widowed since October 15, 2012, Her Majesty Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk remains the Honorary President of the Cambodian Red Cross and continues to appear frequently alongside her son, His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia.