PRAGUE — Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni began on Sunday a week-long private visit to the Czech Republic where the monarch lived for 13 years in his youth, the CTK Czech news agency reported.
Sihamoni arrived in the country, which he considers as his “second homeland”, in 1962 as a nine year old to devote himself to the art of dance.
The future king attended a primary school with Czechs, then a dance school and finally a college for music, ballet and dramatic arts.
Sihamoni, who speaks fluent Czech, is to receive an honorary doctorate from his former college and meet with former teachers and classmates during the visit. He is to meet with Czech President Vaclav Klaus on Thursday.
He first appeared on the stage of the Prague National Theatre at the age of 11 in a production of Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker”.
Sihamoni is the son of former Cambodian king Norodom Sihanouk and his wife, Monineath.
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