His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni was born on 14 May 1953, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk and Her Majesty Norodom Monineath Sihanouk.
King Norodom Sihamoni has a total of 13 siblings, one biological younger brother, King Norodom Narindrapong (1954-2003), and the others are half-siblings.
He is fluent in French and Czech as well as in English and Russian. In 1975, he left Prague to study film in North Korea, then returned home in 1977.
In 1977, upon his return to the homeland, the ruling Khmer Rouge immediately opposed the monarchy and held him in the royal palace with the rest of the royal family until 1979, when the Khmer Rouge fell.
In 1981 he moved to France to teach ballet and later became president of the Khmer Dance Association, living in France for more than 20 years. He is the only king with the ability to speak in Czech.
In 1993, he was appointed as Cambodian Delegate to UNESCO, headquartered in Paris, France, where he was known for his hard work and devotion to Cambodian culture. He had previously rejected his appointment as Cambodia's ambassador to France.
Before he became King, he had the title of "King of Khun" which was given to him by King Norodom Sihanouk on 1 February 1994, and then he was promoted to "Prince Preah Boromneath" on 31 August 2004.
The Royal Ascension Ceremony of His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni was held on the 28 and 29 October 2004, with the attendance of royal relatives, national leaders from top institutions, a large number of government officials, and national and international guests.
During the inauguration ceremony, the King of Cambodia swore, "I swear to abide by the Constitution and the laws of the Kingdom and to benefit the state and its people."
At the same time, he also pledged to serve the religion, humanity, education, social affairs, welfare, and livelihood of people across the country, especially in rural areas.
He said, "I will do my best to serve all the monks, to serve the people, and to serve my beloved homeland with patience and sincerity."
It should be noted that during the 18 years of his reign, he upheld his role and duties as stated in the Constitution in the service of religion, humanity, education, social affairs, welfare, and people's livelihood across the country.
His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni considered the problems of the people as his own, as he always contributed his own money to help build hospitals, schools, and canals.
Every month, he always provides funds to support the activities of the Cambodian Red Cross, as well as face-to-face meetings with the people in remote areas, to provide food and money to help alleviate their problems.
