Norodom Sihamoni Biography

Norodom Sihamoni, born into the royal family, and currently serving as the King of Cambodia, is considered by many to be quite a different picture from the usual nobility. As a child, he was sent to a foreign nation to study, and having spent his childhood and adolescence in Prague, the city became like a second home to this prince. He showed a strong inclination towards culture and performing arts, and graduated in classical music and dance from the ‘Academy of Music Arts’ in Czechoslovakia. To further his artistic skills, he travelled all the way to North Korea to study film making. For twenty years, this prince lived in Paris, teaching and choreographing dance, and forming his own group called ‘Ballet Deva’. He has also been the ambassador for his country to the ‘United Nations’ and ‘UNESCO’ conventions. In 2004, his father decided to hand over the kingdom to someone who was not politically biased, and Sihamoni seemed to be the obvious choice. The latter was crowned king by a council of nine people, and though there were initial doubts about his capability as a ruler, he has since then done justice to his post. He pays special attention to health care and education, particularly in the rural areas.