Sisowath Kossamak Net Worth

Background and career

Sisowath Kossamak (Khmer: ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ កុសុមៈ, Sisŏvăt Kŏsămă; 9 April 1904 – 27 April 1975) was Queen of Cambodia from 1955 to 1960 as the wife of King Norodom Suramarit and reigning Queen of Cambodia from 1960 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1970. After her husband's death in 1960, her son Norodom Sihanouk became chief of state, with Queen Kossamak performing as the ceremonial monarch. Sisowath Kossamak was born a Cambodian princess as the daughter of King Sisowath Monivong and his wife Norodom Kanviman Norleak Tevi. Her official title was Preah Mohaksatreiyani Sisowath Monivong Kossamak Nearirath Serey Vathana (Khmer: ព្រះមហាក្សត្រិយានី ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ មុនីវង្ស កុសុមៈ នារីរ័ត្ន សេរីវឌ្ឍនា, Preah Môhaksătrĕyani Sisŏvăt Mŭnivǒng Kŏsămă Niariroăt Serei Voătheăna).

Upon the death of Monivong in 1941, Sihanouk took the throne. In 1955, he abdicated in favor of his father Suramarit, who then reigned for five years. After her husband's death, Kossamak kept her title of Queen and continued to function as the symbol and representative of the monarchy while Sihanouk assumed his position as head of state, but titled as Prince rather than King. After the coup in March 1970, Kossamak was placed under arrest, but retained her title before being stripped of all status during the formal proclamation of the republic in October of the same year. She remained under house arrest until her health declined in 1973, and she was allowed to join her son in China. On 21 April 1975, Prince Sirik Matak was executed by firing squad at the Cercle Sportif in Phnom Penh, shortly after refusing evacuation and being captured by the orders of Angkar ("The Organization"). Kossamak died in Beijing on 27 April 1975, ten days after the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh, when "Angkar" came to power as the beginning of Year Zero, to build a new agrarian, socialist society of Democratic Kampuchea (DK), which was constituted on 5 January 1976.