Norodom Dynasty

This dynasty is currently serving as the monarch of Cambodia . Currently, King Norodom Siamoni is on the throne.

The lineage of the Norodom Dynasty itself is Trasak Paem, the 27th king of the Khmer Empire in the Middle Ages.[1] Since then, it has been coming down without stopping.

Cambodia was in a state of disarray due to internal and external turmoil in the mid-19th century. This period of disorder is called the Udong era, named after Udong, the capital at the time. Norodom was the son of Ang Duong, the last king of Cambodia during the Udong era, and inherited the throne and founded the new Norodom dynasty. However, this division process was a forced policy during French colonial rule . The kings of that time, including Norodom, were reduced to scarecrows for France.[2] From this time, the Cambodian royal family, which had been of a single lineage since the Khmer Empire, was divided into two lineages: the Norodom Dynasty, a descendant of Norodom, and the Sisowat Dynasty, a descendant of Norodom's younger brother Sisowat.

Even in the puppet state established by the Empire of Japan during World War II by having King Sihanouk declare independence, the Norodom dynasty maintained the throne. Even when the Provisional Government of the French Republic returned and re-colonized Cambodia after Japan withdrew after the war , the Norodom dynasty continued. With independence from France ( First Kingdom of Cambodia ), a constitutional monarchy was implemented for the first time in Cambodian history, and Sihanouk continued to hold real power even after the constitution was enacted.

Meanwhile, when the Khmer Republic was established due to Lon Nol 's coup , former King Sihanouk fled abroad and established a government in exile. In 1993, when the restoration of the monarchy was realized, Sihanouk was reinstated, but the influence of Hun Sen and other figures who led the restoration became stronger than the power of the king, so unlike before, he was unable to exercise real power at all, and starting from the Cambodian coup in 1997, he was completely reduced to a scarecrow.

The current de facto rulers of Cambodia are Senate President Hun Sen and Prime Minister This is Hun Manet . Therefore, the king and the Norodom dynasty have been reduced to half-puppet figures. The King's many powers are exercised only on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. Rather, King Norodom Siamoni lives an unfettered life under surveillance, confined in the palace, and is always followed by guards even when he attends events held outside the palace or travels abroad.

Since the current king , Norodom Siamoni , has no children, Cambodia's dynasty may change after his death. Among the collateral royal families, it is highly likely that the person who best matches the wishes of the de facto ruler, Hun Manet or his associates, will be elected as the next king.