Time of Mourning

November 14th to the 19th were days of mourning to remember Her Royal Highness the Princess Galyani Vadhana. Her Royal Highness, who was the sister of the King, passed away on January 2nd, 2008 at the age of 84 after battling abdominal cancer. When she passed Thailand was in mourning for one hundred days. During that time, and for several months after, Her Royal Highness has laid in state at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. November 14th to the 19th was her royal funeral. It was only the second full royal funeral in the 62 years that King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) has ruled the country, which really shows how important Her Royal Highness was to the King and to this country.

There were countless ceremonies honoring the Princess, all of which were broadcast live on every Thai TV channel. Here is just a rough idea of the different ceremonies performed.

14 November - Evening Rites at the Dusit Maha Prasart Throne Hall
15 November - 7am - The Procession Ceremony, moving the Royal Urn from the Dusit Maha Prasart Throne Hall to the Royal Cremation Ground, Sanam Luang
15 November - 4.30pm - The Royal Cremation Ceremony
16 November - Collection of the Royal Ashes
17 November - Rites for the Royal Ashes
18 November - Moving of part of the Royal Ashes to the Chakri Maha Prasart Throne Hall, where all other Royal Ashes are kept
19 November - Moving of part of the Royal Ashes to the Royal Cemetery at Rajabopit Temple

We were not able to make it to Bangkok to be a part of the ceremonies, but thousands of Thais from all over the country were there. Those that could not make it were watching live on TV.

On Saturday, Her Royal Highness' funeral pyre was lit by the King and she was cremated. In Pattaya, Walking Street, which is filled with go-go bars and working ladies, was basically completely shut down as a gesture of reverence to Her Royal Highness. It may not sound like much, but the hundreds of bars on Walking Street fuel this town's economy. Shutting it down on a weekend really is a feat and is a serious sign of respect. On Wednesday the King and his Queen Consort placed Her Royal Highness' cremation urn in its final resting place, thus ending the royal funeral. The period of mourning is now over, but Thais will never forget the Princess, whom they all loved dearly.