Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni announced today (Friday) that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and confirmed that he is currently undergoing treatment in China.
In an official statement released by the Ministry of Information, the 72-year-old king said his infection was confirmed after a thorough medical examination at a hospital in the capital Beijing, and that he intended to extend his stay there for one to three months based on doctors’ recommendations.
Mr. Sihamoni said he wanted to transparently communicate his health status to the public, stressing that he was receiving the necessary medical care under the supervision of a professional team.
royal cultural journey
Sihamoni has ruled Cambodia since 2004 after his late father Norodom Sihanouk abdicated the throne. Although the country’s monarchy is largely symbolic in nature, Hun Sen has remained the most prominent political figure over the past few decades.
The king is known for his cultural and artistic background, having studied performing arts for many years in the former Czechoslovakia and then working as a ballet teacher in France in the 1980s.
He also held important diplomatic positions, including Cambodia’s ambassador to the United Nations in the early 1990s, and permanent representative to UNESCO in Paris before returning to the capital, Phnom Penh, to assume the throne.
family history of illness
The announcement brings to mind the suffering of his father, the late King Sihanouk. He also suffered from cancer and received treatment in Beijing, where he lived until his death in 2012 at the age of 89, after relinquishing power.
Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni announced today (Friday) that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and confirmed that he is currently undergoing treatment in China.
In an official statement released by the Ministry of Information, the 72-year-old king said his illness was confirmed after a thorough medical examination at a Beijing hospital, and that his stay there would be extended by between one and three months based on doctors’ recommendations.
Mr Sihamoni said he wanted to be transparent with the public about his health status and clarified that he was receiving the necessary medical care under the supervision of a professional team.
A royal and cultural journey
Sihamoni has ruled Cambodia since 2004, following the abdication of his late father Norodom Sihanouk. Although the country’s monarchy is largely symbolic, Hun Sen has remained the most prominent political figure over the past few decades.
The king is known for his cultural and artistic background, having studied performing arts for many years in the former Czechoslovakia and then working as a ballet teacher in France in the 1980s.
He also held important diplomatic positions, including serving as Cambodia’s ambassador to the United Nations in the early 1990s, before becoming UNESCO’s permanent representative in Paris, before returning to the capital Phnom Penh and assuming the throne.
Family history of illness
The announcement recalls the suffering of his late father, King Sihanouk, who also suffered from cancer and lived in Beijing after abdicating the throne until his death at the age of 89 in 2012.
