Cambodia ends lavish funeral for ex-king Sihanouk
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Queen Monineath (76), accompanied by her son King Norodom Sihamoni, carries the urns with the remaining ashes of the late King Norodom Sihanouk, from the crematorium to the Royal Palace on Thursday, in the final procession that officially concludes the seven-day funeral. -- PHOTO: DEMOTIX
PHNOM PENH (AFP) - Cambodia on Thursday wrapped up a week-long funeral for its revered former King Norodom Sihanouk with a procession to return the cremated remains of the colourful ex-monarch to the royal palace.
After chanting by 90 Buddhist monks, two diamond-studded gold urns and one marble urn containing the remains were transported atop a golden float shaped like a mythological bird from the crematorium to the palace.
"This is to honour his majesty who is the greatest hero of Cambodia," Sihanouk's long-time personal assistant Prince Sisowath Thomico told AFP.
The rest of the remains had been lowered into the confluence of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Tonle Bassac rivers in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.
