Cambodia’s former king Norodom Sihanouk, whose life mirrored the turbulent history of his nation where he remained a revered figure, died in Beijing on Monday at the age of 89.
Sihanouk, who had been a frequent visitor to China where he received most of his medical treatment, died of a heart attack, according to his longtime personal assistant Prince Sisowath Thomico.
“He was brought to hospital and died shortly after,” he said of the former monarch who abruptly quit the throne in October 2004 in favour of his son, citing old age and health problems.
“It’s painful. I am full of sorrow,” Prince Thomico said. “King Sihanouk did not belong to his family, he belonged to Cambodia and to history.”
The former king had been staying at his Beijing residence since January. He would have been 90 on October 31.
“The royal government of Cambodia will bring his body from the People’s Republic of China to Phnom Penh to hold a funeral at the Royal Palace according to our traditions,” said a government announcement read out on Cambodian television.
