Norodom Monineath

Norodom Monineath Sihanouk
នរោត្ដម មុនិនាថ សីហនុ
Queen Mother of Cambodia
Monineath in 2024
Queen consort of Cambodia
Tenure24 September 1993 – 7 October 2004
BornPaule Monique Izzi
(1936-06-18) 18 June 1936 (age 88)
Saigon, Cochinchina, French Indochina
(now Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Spouse
(m. 1955; died 2012)
IssueNorodom Sihamoni
Norodom Narindrapong
HouseNorodom (by marriage)
FatherJean-François Izzi
MotherPomme Peang
ReligionTheravada Buddhism

Norodom Monineath Sihanouk (Khmer: នរោត្ដម មុនិនាថ សីហនុ, pronounced [nɔroːtɗɑm mɔniːniət səjhanuʔ]; born Paule Monique Izzi; 18 June 1936) is the Queen Mother of Cambodia. She was Queen of Cambodia from 1993 to 2004, as the wife of King Norodom Sihanouk. She is the widow of King-Father Norodom Sihanouk, whom she married in 1955 as the "secondary consort" (Sihanouk married his official wife, Norodom Thavet Norleak, as the "first lady" also in 1955, before being married to Monineath). After Sihanouk and Norleak divorced in 1968, Monineath became the official spouse of the King.

Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk and King Norodom Sihanouk had two children: Norodom Sihamoni and Norodom Narindrapong; both were born before their parents married. Her official, full title is "Samdech Preah Mahaksatrey Norodom Monineath Sihanouk" (Khmer: សម្តេចព្រះមហាក្សត្រី នរោត្តម មុនិនាថ សីហនុ). The Queen is also called "Preah Voreakreach Meada Cheat Khmer" (Khmer: ព្រះវររាជមាតាជាតិខ្មែរ, lit. "mother of the Khmer nation"). Her birthday on 18 June is an official public holiday in Cambodia.