One million prepare to mourn Cambodia's former king
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Cambodian people light candles for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013 ahead of a lavish funeral procession on Feb 1 which will see his body carried from the royal palace in Phnom Penh to a funeral pyre in a nearby park and is expected to draw more than one million mourners to the capital's streets. Sihanouk, who abdicated in 2004 after steering Cambodia through six decades marked by independence from France, civil war, the murderous Khmer Rouge regime and finally peace, died of a heart attack in Beijing on Oct 15, 2012 and will be cremated on Feb 4. -- PHOTO: AFP
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A Cambodian woman lays flowers as she prays for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013. Sihanouk, who abdicated in 2004 after steering Cambodia through six decades marked by independence from France, civil war, the murderous Khmer Rouge regime and finally peace, died of a heart attack in Beijing on Oct 15, 2012 and will be cremated on Feb 4. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Cambodian soldiers fire artilleries during a funeral procession rehearsal for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013. Sihanouk, who abdicated in 2004 after steering Cambodia through six decades marked by independence from France, civil war, the murderous Khmer Rouge regime and finally peace, died of a heart attack in Beijing on Oct 15, 2012 and will be cremated on Feb 4. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Cambodian women (R) walk past the Royal floats that will carry the body of the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013. Sihanouk, who abdicated in 2004 after steering Cambodia through six decades marked by independence from France, civil war, the murderous Khmer Rouge regime and finally peace, died of a heart attack in Beijing on Oct 15, 2012 and will be cremated on Feb 4. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Soldiers help each other put white armbands on their mourning suits as the country prepares for the funeral of Cambodia's late King Norodom Sihanouk near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013. Sihanouk died at age 89 of heart failure on Oct 15, 2012, and his body will cremated on Feb 4, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Buddhist nuns offer prayers to mourn the late Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk ahead of his funeral on Thursday, Jan 31, 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. -- PHOTO: AP
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A woman sits prayerfully while her head is shaved to mourn the late Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk ahead of his funeral, on Thursday, Jan 31, 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. -- PHOTO: AP
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A young girl sits near an urn of incense sticks offered by mourners to the late Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk ahead of his funeral, on Thursday, Jan 31, 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. -- PHOTO: AP
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A mourner wearing an image that is an artistic impression of Cambodia's late King Norodom Sihanouk joins others in prayer near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013, as the country prepares for Sihanouk's funeral procession which begins today. Sihanouk died at age 89 of heart failure on Oct 15, 2012 and his body will cremated on Feb 4, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A young girl sells photos of the late Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk ahead of his funeral, on Thursday, Jan 31, 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. -- PHOTO: AP
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Mourners offer prayers near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013, as the country prepares for the funeral procession of Cambodia's late King Norodom Sihanouk which begins today. Sihanouk died at age 89 of heart failure on Oct 15, 2012 and his body will be cremated on Feb 4, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Cambodian people gather to pay their respects and pray for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013 ahead of a lavish funeral procession on Feb 1 which will see his body carried from the royal palace in Phnom Penh to a funeral pyre in a nearby park and is expected to draw more than one million mourners to the capital's streets. -- PHOTO : AFP
Cambodian people light candles for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013 ahead of a lavish funeral procession on Feb 1 which will see his body carried from the royal palace in Phnom Penh to a funeral pyre in a nearby park and is expected to draw more than one million mourners to the capital's streets. Sihanouk, who abdicated in 2004 after steering Cambodia through six decades marked by independence from France, civil war, the murderous Khmer Rouge regime and finally peace, died of a heart attack in Beijing on Oct 15, 2012 and will be cremated on Feb 4. -- PHOTO: AFP
A Cambodian woman lays flowers as she prays for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013. Sihanouk, who abdicated in 2004 after steering Cambodia through six decades marked by independence from France, civil war, the murderous Khmer Rouge regime and finally peace, died of a heart attack in Beijing on Oct 15, 2012 and will be cremated on Feb 4. -- PHOTO: AFP
Cambodian soldiers fire artilleries during a funeral procession rehearsal for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013. Sihanouk, who abdicated in 2004 after steering Cambodia through six decades marked by independence from France, civil war, the murderous Khmer Rouge regime and finally peace, died of a heart attack in Beijing on Oct 15, 2012 and will be cremated on Feb 4. -- PHOTO: AFP
Cambodian women (R) walk past the Royal floats that will carry the body of the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013. Sihanouk, who abdicated in 2004 after steering Cambodia through six decades marked by independence from France, civil war, the murderous Khmer Rouge regime and finally peace, died of a heart attack in Beijing on Oct 15, 2012 and will be cremated on Feb 4. -- PHOTO: AFP
Soldiers help each other put white armbands on their mourning suits as the country prepares for the funeral of Cambodia's late King Norodom Sihanouk near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013. Sihanouk died at age 89 of heart failure on Oct 15, 2012, and his body will cremated on Feb 4, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Buddhist nuns offer prayers to mourn the late Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk ahead of his funeral on Thursday, Jan 31, 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. -- PHOTO: AP
A woman sits prayerfully while her head is shaved to mourn the late Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk ahead of his funeral, on Thursday, Jan 31, 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. -- PHOTO: AP
A young girl sits near an urn of incense sticks offered by mourners to the late Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk ahead of his funeral, on Thursday, Jan 31, 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. -- PHOTO: AP
A mourner wearing an image that is an artistic impression of Cambodia's late King Norodom Sihanouk joins others in prayer near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013, as the country prepares for Sihanouk's funeral procession which begins today. Sihanouk died at age 89 of heart failure on Oct 15, 2012 and his body will cremated on Feb 4, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A young girl sells photos of the late Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk ahead of his funeral, on Thursday, Jan 31, 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. -- PHOTO: AP
Mourners offer prayers near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013, as the country prepares for the funeral procession of Cambodia's late King Norodom Sihanouk which begins today. Sihanouk died at age 89 of heart failure on Oct 15, 2012 and his body will be cremated on Feb 4, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Cambodian people gather to pay their respects and pray for the late former King Norodom Sihanouk in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on Jan 31, 2013 ahead of a lavish funeral procession on Feb 1 which will see his body carried from the royal palace in Phnom Penh to a funeral pyre in a nearby park and is expected to draw more than one million mourners to the capital's streets. -- PHOTO : AFP
PHNOM PENH (AFP) - The lavish funeral of Cambodia's revered former king Norodom Sihanouk will begin on Friday, with officials expecting more than a million mourners to throng Phnom Penh's streets.
The body of the late monarch, who died of a heart attack in Beijing in October, aged 89, will be paraded through the city atop a golden float shaped like a mythological bird, from the Royal Palace to an ornate, custom-built crematorium in a city park.
Authorities have erected towering portraits of Sihanouk, repaired crumbling kerbs along the procession route and established road blocks around the palace and park, where the cremation will be held on Monday, away from public view.
Friday's ceremony is due to begin at 0000 GMT (8am Singapore time) and will include a 101-gun salute and the procession, giving crowds the chance to bid a final farewell to their colourful king, who was placed on the throne by the French at the age of just 18 but developed into a canny political survivor.
