Disir
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King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand was the world's longest reigning monarch.
He was viewed by his subjects as a stabilising influence in a country that saw numerous military coups during his reign.
Despite being seen as a benign father figure who remained above politics, he also intervened at times of heightened political tension.
And although he was a constitutional monarch with limited powers, most Thais regarded him as semi-divine.
Bhumibol Adulyadej was born in Cambridge in the US state of Massachusetts on 5 December 1927.
His father, Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, was studying at Harvard when his son was born.
The family later returned to Thailand, where his father died when he was just two years old.
His mother then moved to Switzerland, where the young prince was educated.
As a young man he enjoyed cultured pursuits, including photography, playing and composing songs for the saxophone, painting and writing.
The status of the Thai monarchy had been in decline since the abolition of its absolute rule in 1932, and there was a further blow when his uncle, King Prajadhipok, abdicated in 1935.
The throne passed to Bhumibol's brother, Ananda, who was just nine years old.
Obituary: King Bhumibol of Thailand - BBC News
And this:
Kneeling before a king: the moment that shook a nation - BBC News
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will become the new monarch and Queen Elizabeth II is now the longest reigning monarch.
He was viewed by his subjects as a stabilising influence in a country that saw numerous military coups during his reign.
Despite being seen as a benign father figure who remained above politics, he also intervened at times of heightened political tension.
And although he was a constitutional monarch with limited powers, most Thais regarded him as semi-divine.
Bhumibol Adulyadej was born in Cambridge in the US state of Massachusetts on 5 December 1927.
His father, Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, was studying at Harvard when his son was born.
The family later returned to Thailand, where his father died when he was just two years old.
His mother then moved to Switzerland, where the young prince was educated.
As a young man he enjoyed cultured pursuits, including photography, playing and composing songs for the saxophone, painting and writing.
The status of the Thai monarchy had been in decline since the abolition of its absolute rule in 1932, and there was a further blow when his uncle, King Prajadhipok, abdicated in 1935.
The throne passed to Bhumibol's brother, Ananda, who was just nine years old.
Obituary: King Bhumibol of Thailand - BBC News
And this:
Kneeling before a king: the moment that shook a nation - BBC News
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will become the new monarch and Queen Elizabeth II is now the longest reigning monarch.
