Norodom Monineath

Who is Norodom Monineath?

Queen Mother Norodom Monineath is the queen of Cambodia. She was born on 18 June 1936, in Saigon, Cochinchina, French Indochina. She is the widow of His Majesty King Father Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia whom she married in April 1952. As such, she was the Queen consort of Cambodia from 1952 to 1955 and again from 1993 to 2004. She was born Paule-Monique Izzi and is sometimes referred to as Queen Monique.

Her father, Jean-François Izzi, was a French banker of Corsican, French and Italian descent, who was killed in World War II. Her mother, Pomme Peang, was from Phnom Penh.

She studied at the Primary School Norodom, Sisowath High School, and the Lycée René Descartes. She was President of the Cambodian Red Cross towards the end of the 1960s and is currently the CRC Honorary President.

On 22 February 1992, she was elevated by the King to the rank of Samdech Preah Cheayea. On 24 September 1993, she was raised to the rank of Samdech Preah Mohèsey Norodom Monineath of Cambodia. On 2 January 1996, the King elevated her to the rank of Samdech Preah Reach Akka Mohèsey Norodom Monineath.

Her birthday, 18 June, is an official Cambodian public holiday.