Happy birthday, Your Majesty! Thailand honours its new Queen as she turns 41 with a public holiday, candlelit processions and giving alms
- Queen Suthida, 41, from Bangkok, married King Maha Vajiralongkorn on May 1
- National holiday has been declared marking today her first birthday as a royal
- Government urged people to wear purple, the 'colour' of the Queen's birthday
- The new royal met the king when she was a flight attendant for Thai Airways
Thais are celebrating the new Queen's birthday for the first time, with crowds donning royal colours of purple and yellow in honour of the royal.
Queen Suthida, 41, from Bangkok, is celebrating her first birthday since marrying King Maha Vajiralongkorn on 1 May, having reportedly met the King when working as a flight attendant.
Thai officials joined crowds across Thailand in paying homage to Suthida, with many lighting candles in honour of the country's new Queen.
In one celebration, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha led government officials in giving alms to hundreds of Buddhist monks near the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
Thai officials stand in front of a large portrait of Thai Queen Suthida (C) during a ceremony to honor her on her 41st birthday at Sanam Luang in Bangkok, Thailand
People walk past a large framed portrait of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun and Queen Suthida in commemoration of Queen Suthida's birthday, outside an office building in Bangkok on her 41st birthday
It is part of the Thai tradition of the act of doing good deeds, such as freeing captive animals, on one's birthday.
Activities were also organised across Thailand to honour the Queen, with Thais granted a national holiday in celebration.
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Initiatives included volunteers cleaning canals, planting trees and training members of the public in basic first aid.
Free services, including massages, haircuts and dental check ups, have also been organised in Bangkok over the long weekend.
Huge portraits of the royal couple have been hung across Bangkok, as Thais celebrate the new Queen
Thai well-wishers hold pictures of Thai Queen Suthida as they gather to celebrate in honor of the Queen's 41st birthday, at Sanam Luang in Bangkok
Well-wishers could be seen gathering across the country to wish the new-royal happy birthday, with many clutching official portraits of Suthida.
Many donned purple and yellow to celebrate the royal's birthday, two colours closely associated with royalty in Thai culture.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his wife Naraporn joined crowds at a ceremony close to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, and were seen lighting candles in honour of the royal.
It is the first time that Queen Suthida has celebrated her birthday as a royal, having married the King of Thailand last month.
Many fans gathered at Sanam Luang, close to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, to honour the new Queen
Some held candles as crowds gathered at Sanam Luang in Bangkok to celebrate the Queen's birthday, with many honouring her in the colour yellow
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (left) and his wife Naraporn (centre) light a candle in front of a large picture of Thai Queen Suthida during a ceremony to honor her on her 41st birthday
While it was long-rumoured the pair were dating, the relationship was only confirmed last month when the marriage was announced.
Having previously worked as a flight attendant for Thai Airways, which is reportedly how she met the King, Queen Suthida then joined the palace guard in 2013 and became commander of the his security unit.
She currently holds a general's rank, having been appointed deputy commander of the King's Royal Guard in June 2017.
Her husband King Vajiralongkorn, who has had three previous marriages and divorced his previous wife, with whom he has a son, in 2014, became king after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in October 2016.
Twenty portraits of the Queen were recently released by the Thai government in honour of the wedding, with the royal sporting a dazzling array of different outfits.
