King Norodom Suramarit of Cambodia

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Coronation of King Norodom Suramarit of Cambodia; Credit – Wikipedia

Note: In Cambodian naming practices, the surname comes first. The king’s surname is Norodom and his first name is Suramarit, so he will be referred to as Suramarit.

Norodom Suramarit, the father of King Norodom Sihanouk, reigned as King of Cambodia from 1955 -1960. Suramarit was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, then in the French Protectorate of Cambodia, on March 6, 1896. He was the son of half-siblings, Prince Norodom Sutharot of Cambodia (1872–1945) and Princess Norodom Phangangam of Cambodia (1874–1944), both children of King Norodom Prohmbarirak of Cambodia but by different mothers.

Suramarit had five younger siblings:

  • Princess Norodom Akasaniya (1892 – 1907), died by suicide
  • Princess Norodom Raksmey-Sophon (1895 – 1971)
  • Princess Norodom Phavarith (1896 – ?)
  • Princess Norodom Yinglek (1900 – ?)
  • Prince Norodom Rasspong (born 1909 – ?)

At the time of his birth, Suramarit’s grandfather Norodom Prohmbarirak was the King of Cambodia. When his grandfather died in 1904, his grandfather’s half-brother Sisowath Chamchakrapong became King of Cambodia and reigned until his death in 1941 when his son, Sisowath Monivong became King of Cambodia. Suramarit grew up at the court of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh and was educated at French schools in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Saigon, Vietnam, both in French Indochina.

Suramarit married three times. In 1920, he married Princess Sisowath Kossamak of Cambodia  (1904 – 1975), daughter of King Sisowath Monivong of Cambodia. They had one son:

Suramarit married Princess Maduratna Duong Mathuret but they had no children

Suramarit married Kim-An Yeap (Khun Devi Kanha Subiya Yeap) (1925 – 1995). They had three children:

  • Princess Norodom Vichara (1946 – 2013), married (1) Tep Sombana, no children, divorced (2) Yves Dumont, had one son
  • Prince Norodom Sirivudh (born 1951), married (1) Keo Kosey, had one son, divorced (2) Christine Angèle Alfsen, one son and two daughters, divorced (3) Princess Norodom Norodom Veasna Diva of Cambodia
  • Prince Norodom Preyasophon (born 1954), married Princess Vinayika Sisowath Vinak of Cambodia, had one son and one daughter

When King Sisowath Monivong died in 1941, the French originally wanted Suramarit to succeed him. However, Sisowath Monil, the son of King Sisowath Monivong, believed that he was the legal heir to the throne. The two royal families of Cambodia, the House of Norodom and the House of Sisowath, quarreled over the right to the throne. Finally, Jean Decoux, Governor-General of French Indochina, chose Suramarit’s 18-year-old son Norodom Sihanouk to be King of Cambodia because he was descended from both royal families.

Embed from Getty Images 
King Norodom Suramarit and Queen Sisowath Kossamak in the throne room of the Pnom Penh Royal Palace a few days before the official coronation on March 7, 1955

Suramarit’s son King Norodom Sihanouk decided to abdicate in 1955 so he could directly participate in politics. He reverted to the title of Prince and was succeeded by his father Suramarit as King of Cambodia. Sihanouk’s political party Sangkum won the general elections in 1955 and he became Prime Minister of Cambodia. The reign of King Suramarit was a peaceful one due to Prime Minister Norodom Sihanouk’s powerful political leadership and strict neutral policy.

After a long illness, King Norodom Suramarit died on April 3, 1960, aged 64, at Chaktomuk Hall, Khemarin Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Suramit’s ashes were buried in a stupa at Wat Preah Keo Morakot (Silver Pagoda) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Following Suramarit’s death in 1960, his son Norodom Sihanouk again became head of state although he did not formally regain the title of King of Cambodia until 1993, after periods of exile and other governments in power.

Stupa of King Norodom Suramarit; Credit – By Olaf Tausch – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46687777

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Norodom Suramarit. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norodom_Suramarit> [Accessed 16 August 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Cambodian Royal Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Cambodia/camboa14.htm> [Accessed 16 August 2020].
  • https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norodom_Suramarit
  • Zh.wikipedia.org. 2020. 诺罗敦·苏拉玛里特. [online] Available at: <https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%AF%BA%E7%BD%97%E6%95%A6%C2%B7%E8%8B%8F%E6%8B%89%E7%8E%9B%E9%87%8C%E7%89%B9> [Accessed 16 August 2020].

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