Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit died Friday in a Bangkok hospital at age 93, the Royal Household Bureau said, citing a blood infection that began Oct. 17. Mourners gathered outside Chulalongkorn Hospital on Saturday; “I felt like fainting,” said 67-year-old Maneerat Laowalert. Beloved and influential, Sirikit championed rural development and traditional crafts through the SUPPORT foundation and pursued conservation efforts; after a 2012 stroke, she was largely absent from public life. Her role also drew political scrutiny after she attended a protester’s 2008 funeral. Her husband, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, died in 2016.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.