A ceremony celebrating the 15th anniversary of the coronation of King Norodom Sihamoni (left) was held at the Royal Palace’s Throne Hall on Tuesday. Born on May 14, 1953, in Phnom Penh, King Norodom Sihamoni ascended the throne on October 29, 2004, after his election by the nine-member Crown Council.ROYAL DU CAMBODGE
A ceremony celebrating the 15th anniversary of the coronation of King Norodom Sihamoni was held at the Royal Palace’s Throne Hall on Tuesday.
It was presided over by Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, said a post on the Royal du Cambodge Facebook page.
Since 2004, Cambodian citizens and civil servants across the country, including employees in the private sector, have been allowed to take time off from work on October 29 to celebrate the coronation.
To mark the occasion on Tuesday, senior leaders of state institutions nationwide, as well as the private sector, sent messages wishing the King good health, good fortune and longevity.
‘Our deepest respects’
Some sent letters to the King, including Prime Minister Hun Sen who wrote: “We all would like to pay our deepest respects and show our deepest gratitude for your wise and noble actions.
“Your virtue of humanity shines through in your love for the nation, your people and foreign citizens.
“You have in the past contributed to the promotion of the national prestige and spurred the social economy towards prosperity and glory along with the government.”
Born on May 14, 1953, in Phnom Penh, King Norodom Sihamoni ascended the throne on October 29, 2004, after his election by the nine-member Crown Council.
To commemorate the 15th anniversary of his coronation, the government has introduced a new 15,000 riel bank-note bearing his portrait, with an image of the Win-Win Monument in Phnom Penh on the reverse.
The front bears his portrait in the centre, with an image of a statue of a seven-headed naga at Angkor Wat to the left. The note uses braille so the blind can tell its denomination.
On the reverse of the note, left of centre is an image of the King, Queen Mother and the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk during a ceremony as part of his coronation in 2004.
Right of the centre is an image of the Win-Win Monument, and far-right is a depiction of a three-headed elephant carrying a garuda bearing a swan. The far-left carries the message “Congratulations on the 15th anniversary of the coronation of the King”.
