Million mourners set to honour Cambodia's ex-King Sihanouk
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Cambodian students walk in front of Royal Palace during rehearsal for former King Norodom Sihanouk's funeral on Saturday, Jan 19, 2013, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The body of Sihanouk who died on Oct 15, 2012, at age 89 is scheduled to be cremated on Feb 4, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AP
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Cambodian people take pictures of the cremation site for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 29, 2013. Cambodia on Jan 30, braced for an elaborate funeral for revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, who died aged 89 and will be cremated on Feb 4. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Cambodian Buddhist monks pray for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 29, 2013. Cambodia on Jan 30, braced for an elaborate funeral for revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, who died aged 89 and will be cremated on Feb 4. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Cambodian people pray for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 29, 2013. Cambodia on Jan 30, braced for an elaborate funeral for revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, who died aged 89 and will be cremated on Feb 4. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Cambodian people buy portrait photos of the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 29, 2013. Cambodia on Jan 30, braced for an elaborate funeral for revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, who died aged 89 and will be cremated on Feb 4. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Buddhist monks offer prayers to Cambodian late former King Norodom Sihanouk ahead of his cremation on Feb 4, in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Saturday, Jan 26, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AP
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Cambodian Sihanouk's widow Queen Monique (far right), and King Norodom Sihamoni (far left), pray during a prayer ceremony in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 26, 2013. Tens of thousands of Cambodian Buddhist monks and people gathered to pray for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Buddhist nuns offer prayers to late former King Norodom Sihanouk ahead of his cremation on Feb 4, in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Saturday, Jan 26, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say.. -- PHOTO: AP
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Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni (left), accompanied by his mother, Queen Monineath, burn incense sticks for prayers to late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Saturday, Jan 26, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AP
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Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni (left), accompanied by his mother, Queen Monineath, burn incense sticks for prayers to late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Saturday on Jan 26, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AP
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Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni (centre), greets mourners in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Saturday, Jan 26, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AP
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People walk through the cremation site for Cambodia's late King Norodom Sihanouk, which is under construction, near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AP
Cambodian students walk in front of Royal Palace during rehearsal for former King Norodom Sihanouk's funeral on Saturday, Jan 19, 2013, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The body of Sihanouk who died on Oct 15, 2012, at age 89 is scheduled to be cremated on Feb 4, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AP
Cambodian people take pictures of the cremation site for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 29, 2013. Cambodia on Jan 30, braced for an elaborate funeral for revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, who died aged 89 and will be cremated on Feb 4. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AFP
Cambodian Buddhist monks pray for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 29, 2013. Cambodia on Jan 30, braced for an elaborate funeral for revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, who died aged 89 and will be cremated on Feb 4. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AFP
Cambodian people pray for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 29, 2013. Cambodia on Jan 30, braced for an elaborate funeral for revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, who died aged 89 and will be cremated on Feb 4. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AFP
Cambodian people buy portrait photos of the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 29, 2013. Cambodia on Jan 30, braced for an elaborate funeral for revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, who died aged 89 and will be cremated on Feb 4. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AFP
Buddhist monks offer prayers to Cambodian late former King Norodom Sihanouk ahead of his cremation on Feb 4, in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Saturday, Jan 26, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AP
Cambodian Sihanouk's widow Queen Monique (far right), and King Norodom Sihamoni (far left), pray during a prayer ceremony in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 26, 2013. Tens of thousands of Cambodian Buddhist monks and people gathered to pray for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AFP
Buddhist nuns offer prayers to late former King Norodom Sihanouk ahead of his cremation on Feb 4, in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Saturday, Jan 26, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say.. -- PHOTO: AP
Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni (left), accompanied by his mother, Queen Monineath, burn incense sticks for prayers to late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Saturday, Jan 26, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AP
Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni (left), accompanied by his mother, Queen Monineath, burn incense sticks for prayers to late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Saturday on Jan 26, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AP
Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni (centre), greets mourners in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Saturday, Jan 26, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AP
People walk through the cremation site for Cambodia's late King Norodom Sihanouk, which is under construction, near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013. More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday, Feb 1, 2013, for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say. -- PHOTO: AP
PHNOM PENH (AFP) - More than one million mourners are expected to line the streets of the Cambodian capital on Friday for a lavish funeral procession for their revered former King Norodom Sihanouk, officials say.
The body of the late monarch, who died of a heart attack aged 89 in Beijing last October, will be transported atop a golden float shaped like a mythological bird from the royal palace to a funeral pyre in a city park.
"This is our last homage to say goodbye to the great hero king," Prime Minister Hun Sen said on national radio this week.
Sihanouk abdicated in 2004 after steering Cambodia through six decades marked by independence from France, civil war, the murderous Khmer Rouge regime and finally peace.
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