king norodom sihamoni | setiawanphoto

I wrote a post last month about the Thai King. Cambodia is also a Kingdom, and it has a King as well. The King’s role is mostly ceremonial, but similar to the Thai people, the Cambodians also revere their King. Their current King is King Norodom Sihamoni, who became King in 2004 replacing his father King Father Norodom Sihanouk who abdicated his Throne due to health reasons. If King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand is the longest reigning monarch in the world, King Father Norodom Sihanouk held the world record for the number of positions that he held during his lifetime. The Guinness Book of World Records identifies him as the politician who has served the world’s greatest variety of political offices. These included two terms as King, two as Sovereign Prince, one as president, two as prime minister, and one as Cambodia’s non-titled head of state, as well as numerous positions as leader of various governments-in-exile.

When Kristi and I visited the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, we saw an exhibit at the museum dedicated to the life of the King Father Norodom Sihanouk. He was born in 1922 (so he’s 90 years old this year) and first became King in 1941. At the exhibit, there was a photo of him with the first Indonesian President, Soekarno, not long after Indonesia gained its independence. That’s how long he’s been around. People in Cambodia revered him, as evident to him being restored to his position as the King of Cambodia in 1993 after years of being in exile during the Khmer Rouge era.

The photo below was taken when we visited the Banteay Srei temple near Siem Reap. It was the photos of the current King Norodom Sihamoni on the left, the King Father Norodom Sihanouk in the middle, and Queen Monique on the right.

The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, has been the residence of the king of Cambodia since 1866, with a period of absence during the reign of the Khmer Rouge. One prominent building in the complex was the Throne Hall. This building was used only for important ceremonies like the king’s coronation or royal weddings. Behind the Throne Hall, there was a building behind a closed off and guarded gate. The building was the Khemarin Palace, the official residence of the king of Cambodia, King Norodom Sihamoni. Aside from these two buildings, there were a couple of buildings that were open air pavilions where traditional dance performances were performed, and there were several other closed-off buildings that seemed to be used for offices. On the south side of the Royal Palace complex, there was a long wall decorated with Ramaketi (the Khmer version of the Hindu epic Ramayana) frescoes, several large stupas commemorating past Cambodian royalties, and the royal temple known as the Silver Pagoda. The whole set up was very much similar to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand.

We visited the Royal Palace as our first destination during our full day visit to Phnom Penh. When we arrived there, we just had to purchase the entrance ticket, and then just walked into the complex to visit areas that are open for the public. It wasn’t as crowded as the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Inside the complex we could walk around and check out the interior of some of the buildings, but many were closed off. Unlike the Grand Palace in Bangkok that is used for ceremonies but is not the actual residence of the King of Siam anymore, the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is actually the residence of the King of Cambodia, King Norodom Sihamoni. So we could observe a closed area with armed guards watching the entrance gate. Many visitors came with tour guides (they are easily recognizable because official tour guides in Cambodia had to wear uniforms when they’re on duty). We didn’t have one, so we just had to rely on our own guidebooks and the pamphlet handed out at the ticket booth. The palace is not as glitzy as the Grand Palace in Bangkok, but it’s still showing the dignity of the people of Cambodia, and provided some reminder of the past glory of the Khmer Empire.

The photo below was taken inside the complex. This was the Moonlight Pavilion that can also be seen from outside the complex. This particular pavilion has a balcony where the King can stand and watch One of the most notable buildings in the palace complex as it’s easily seen from outside. This pavilion had a balcony where the king could see parade passing by the boulevard outside the palace.