Bangkok: Who would have thought that a school near home on Samsen Road would become the starting point of a great story that transformed the life of a young girl into the "Queen of Thai Hearts"? A new student at St. Francis Xavier Convent School, on May 23, 1940, entered a small classroom, wearing a red pleated skirt. Her name was Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara.
According to Thai News Agency, Sirikit was a girl with braided hair, a red bow, a bright smile, and eyes that radiated confidence. She was not just a 'boss' daughter,' but an ordinary girl who was bold, eloquent, and quick to make new friends. During breaks, she often shared her snacks with her friends, sometimes laughing loudly while playing games, prompting her sister to warn her not to run indoors. Despite her mischievous nature, she remained orderly, neat, and kind.
The seeds of compassion began to grow from that very day. The sound of the piano in the classroom became the sound of her heart. Every evening after school, Sirikit would sit at the piano, studying with Sister Rene and Sister Francisca. Her teachers soon noticed her natural talent for music, noting her ability to read notes accurately, play rhythmically, and sing beautifully beyond her years. For Sirikit, music was a language of the heart, providing a space for calm and teaching her about concentration and refinement-qualities that laid the foundation for her compassion in countless royal projects.
During the war, when fuel was scarce and trams were crowded with Japanese soldiers, Sirikit attended school daily without complaint. Before graduating from her third year of secondary school, a fortune teller predicted she would become queen. Her friends laughed, nicknaming her "Queen Sirikit." Although the prophecy eventually came true, it was her gentleness and gratitude that earned her the title of 'Queen of Hearts.'
Sirikit never forgot her former teachers. She once recounted with a smile how, as a child, she was so naughty that her teacher had to tie her legs to the table to keep her from running around. Later, she took care of all the sisters and teachers who had taught her, under her royal patronage, valuing gratitude as the foundation of being a 'graceful woman.'
From a girl who shared snacks with friends, Sirikit grew up to become Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, dedicating herself to improving the lives of Thai people. The "school near home" became a "school of life," teaching patience, kindness, and giving. Truly, Mother's School is not just located on Samsen Road, but in the hearts of all Thai people.