King Norodom Sihamoni, who is currently undergoing a medical checkup in Beijing, China, shared his condolences and sadness with King Charles III of the UK at the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8. She was 96.

In a September 9 letter, King Norodom Sihamoni wrote: “On behalf of the people of the Kingdom of Cambodia, my august Mother Her Majesty Norodom Monineath Sihnouk and I wish to convey to Your Majesty, the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland our most sincere condolences and deepest sympathy.”

He continued: “We pay a respectful homage to the memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving Head of State in the world, who shall be remembered for Her great and constant devotion to Her motherland. May Her soul rest in peace!”

President of the National Assembly Heng Samrin also shared his deep sadness at the passing of the queen.

“In this moment of great sadness, on behalf of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia and on my own behalf, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to you, the bereaved family, as well as the brotherly people of the United Kingdom for the great loss of your beloved monarch,” he wrote in letter addressed to Lindsay Harvey Hoyle, speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

“Her Majesty's great legacy and devotion to the nation will be missed and remembered by all British subjects and people around the world. May the soul of Her Majesty the Queen rest in peace,” Samrin wrote.

He said Cambodia and the UK have a longstanding relationship, which is built on mutual respect, while the two countries also work closely together on a number of areas at both bilateral and multilateral levels to further strengthen their existing relations in the interests of the two peoples in the years ahead.

“We also wish to take the opportunity to convey our profound thanks to the UK for its substantial assistance to Cambodia,” Samrin said in his letter.