List of heads of state of Cambodia

Head of State of Cambodia
Head of State of Cambodia
ប្រមុខរដ្ឋនៃកម្ពុជា
	Royal arms
	Royal standard
	Incumbent; Norodom Sihamoni ; (as King); since 14 October 2004
Style	His Majesty
Type	Head of state
Residence	Khemarin Palace (official); The Royal Residence (secondary)
Seat	Phnom Penh (official); Siem Reap (secondary)
Appointer	Royal Council of the Throne
Term length	Life tenure
Formation	19 October 1860(164 years ago)
First holder	Norodom (as King)

Last updated February 25, 2025

This is a list of heads of state of Cambodia from the accession of King Norodom on 19 October 1860 to the present day. It lists various heads of state which served in the modern history of Cambodia, under several different regimes and with various titles.

Titles

1860–1960: King of Cambodia (under French protectorate in 1863–1945 and 1945–1953, and Japanese puppet state in 1945)
1960 : Chairman of the Regency Council
1960–1970: Chief of State of Cambodia
1970–1975: President of the Khmer Republic
1975 : Chairman the Supreme Committee
1975–1976: President of the State Presidium
1976–1979: Chairman of the State Presidium
1979–1981: Chairman of the People's Revolutionary Council
1981–1993: President of the Council of State
1993 : Head of State of the State of Cambodia
1993–present: King of Cambodia

List of officeholders

Political parties

Sangkum

Social Republican Party (PRS)

National United Front of Kampuchea (FUNK)

Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK)

Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP) → Cambodian People's Party (CPP)

Other factions

Military (FANK)

Independent

Note: Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of reign/office.

Monarchy

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Reign/Tenure			House	Claim
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Start	End	Duration	House	Claim
1		Norodom នរោត្តម (1834–1904)	19 October 1860	24 April 1904	43 years, 188 days	Norodom	Son of Ang Duong
2		Sisowath ស៊ីសុវតិ្ថ (1840–1927)	27 April 1904	9 August 1927	23 years, 104 days	Sisowath	Brother of Norodom
3		Sisowath Monivong ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ មុនីវង្ស (1875–1941)	9 August 1927	24 April 1941	13 years, 258 days	Sisowath	Son of Sisowath
4		Norodom Sihanouk នរោត្តម សីហនុ (1922–2012)	24 April 1941	2 March 1955^[3]	13 years, 309 days	Norodom	Grandson of Sisowath Monivong
5		Norodom Suramarit នរោត្តម សុរាម្រិត (1896–1960)	2 March 1955	3 April 1960	5 years, 32 days	Norodom	Son-in-law of Sisowath Monivong Father of Norodom Sihanouk
—		Chuop Hell ជួប ហ៊ែល (1909–c. 1975) Acting Head of State^[a]	3 April 1960	6 April 1960	3 days	—
—		Sisowath Monireth ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ មុន្នីរ៉េត (1909–1975) Chairman of the Regency Council	6 April 1960	13 June 1960	68 days	Sisowath	Son of Sisowath Monivong
—		Chuop Hell ជួប ហ៊ែល (1909–c. 1975) Acting Head of State^[a]	13 June 1960	20 June 1960	7 days	—
(4)		Norodom Sihanouk នរោត្តម សីហនុ (1922–2012)	20 June 1960^[4]	18 March 1970^[5]	9 years, 271 days	Norodom	Son of Norodom Suramarit
—		Sisowath Kossamak ស៊ីសុវត្ថិ កុសមៈ (1904–1975) ^[b]	20 June 1960	9 October 1970	10 years, 111 days	Sisowath	Daughter of Sisowath Monivong Consort of Norodom Suramarit Mother of Norodom Sihanouk
—		Cheng Heng ឆេង ហេង (1910–1996) Acting Head of State	21 March 1970	9 October 1970	202 days	—

Republic

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party
6		Cheng Heng ឆេង ហេង (1910–1996)	—	9 October 1970^[8]	9 March 1972	1 year, 153 days	Independent
7		Lon Nol លន់ នល់ (1913–1985)	1972	10 March 1972^[9]	1 April 1975^[10]	3 years, 22 days	PRS / FANK (ANK)
—		Saukam Khoy សូកាំ ខូយ (1915–2008) Acting for Lon Nol	—	1 April 1975	12 April 1975	11 days	PRS / FANK (ANK)
8		Sak Sutsakhan សក់ ស៊ុតសាខន (1928–1994) Chairman of the Supreme Committee	—	12 April 1975^[11]	17 April 1975	5 days	FANK (ANK)
(4)		Norodom Sihanouk នរោត្តម សីហនុ (1922–2012)	—	17 April 1975^[12]	2 April 1976^[13]	351 days	FUNK
9		Khieu Samphan ខៀវ សំផន (born 1931)	—	11 April 1976^[14]	7 January 1979	2 years, 271 days	CPK
10		Heng Samrin ហេង សំរិន (born 1934)	—	7 January 1979^[15]	6 April 1992	13 years, 90 days	KPRP
10		Heng Samrin ហេង សំរិន (born 1934)	—	7 January 1979^[15]	6 April 1992	13 years, 90 days	CPP
11		Chea Sim ជា ស៊ីម (1932–2015)	—	6 April 1992	14 June 1993	1 year, 69 days	CPP
(4)		Norodom Sihanouk នរោត្តម សីហនុ (1922–2012)	—	14 June 1993	24 September 1993	102 days	Independent

Restored monarchy

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Reign			House	Claim
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Start	End	Duration	House	Claim
(4)		Norodom Sihanouk នរោត្តម សីហនុ (1922–2012)	1993^[16]	24 September 1993	7 October 2004	11 years, 13 days	Norodom	Elected (Son of Norodom Suramarit and Sisowath Kossamak)
12		Norodom Sihamoni នរោត្តម សីហមុនី (born 1953)	2004^[2]	14 October 2004	Incumbent	20 years, 134 days	Norodom	Elected (Son of Norodom Sihanouk)

Timeline

Notes

1 2 Hell simultaneously served as the President of the National Assembly, from 1958 to 1962.
↑ After the death of King Norodom Suramarit, his consort Queen Sisowath Kossamak served as monarch for ceremonial purposes only (as a "symbol, incarnation, and representative" of the dynasty), while the powers of head of state were delegated to her son Norodom Sihanouk, who was appointed "Chief of State" whose powers equal that of a monarch.^[6]^[7]

References

↑ "Cambodia gets new king". UPI Archives. 14 October 2004. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
1 2 Samean, Yun (15 October 2004). "Throne Council Selects Sihamoni to be the Next King". The Cambodia Daily. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
↑ "Cambodian King Abdicates Throne in Favor of Father". The New York Times. Reuters. 3 March 1955. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
↑ "CAMBODIA NAMES RULER; Prince Sihanouk Agrees to Become 'Chief of State'". The New York Times. 14 June 1960. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
↑ Henry Kamm (19 March 1970). "SIHANOUK REPORTED OUT IN A COUP BY HIS PREMIER". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
↑ "Cambodian Queen is Dead in Peking". The New York Times. 28 April 1975. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
↑ Chandler, David (4 May 2018). A History of Cambodia (4th ed.). Routledge. p. 235. ISBN 978-0-429-96406-0. In 1960 Sihanouk's father, King Suramarit, died. After a series of maneuvers, Sihanouk had himself named Cambodia's chief of state with his mother, Queen Kossamak, continuing to serve as a monarch for ceremonial purposes.
↑ Henry Kamm (10 October 1970). "War Seems Far Away as Cambodia Becomes Republic". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
↑ "LON NOL TIGHTENS RULE IN CAMBODIA". The New York Times. Reuters. 11 March 1972. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
↑ "Lon Nol Turns Over Rule and Leaves". The New York Times. 2 April 1975. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
↑ Sydney Schanberg (13 April 1975). "MILITARY TAKING OVER IN CAMBODIA AS LAST AMERICANS ARE EVACUATED". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
↑ "Cambodians Designate Sihanouk as Chief for Life". The New York Times. UPI. 26 April 1975. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
↑ "PHNOM PENH SAYS SIHANOUK RESIGNS". The New York Times. UPI. 5 April 1976. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
↑ "Cambodia Announces Its New Government". The New York Times. AP. 14 April 1976. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
↑ David Binder (9 January 1979). "New Cambodia Leaders Identified In Radio Broadcast From Vietnam". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
↑ Downie, Sue (24 September 1993). "Sihanouk reinstated as king of Cambodia". UPI Archives. Retrieved 12 August 2022.

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[Hell-4] 1 2 Hell simultaneously served as the President of the National Assembly, from 1958 to 1962.

[9] After the death of King Norodom Suramarit, his consort Queen Sisowath Kossamak served as monarch for ceremonial purposes only (as a "symbol, incarnation, and representative" of the dynasty), while the powers of head of state were delegated to her son Norodom Sihanouk, who was appointed "Chief of State" whose powers equal that of a monarch.^[6]^[7]

[1] "Cambodia gets new king". UPI Archives. 14 October 2004. Retrieved 22 December 2021.

[TCD-2] 1 2 Samean, Yun (15 October 2004). "Throne Council Selects Sihamoni to be the Next King". The Cambodia Daily. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2022.

[3] "Cambodian King Abdicates Throne in Favor of Father". The New York Times. Reuters. 3 March 1955. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

[5] "CAMBODIA NAMES RULER; Prince Sihanouk Agrees to Become 'Chief of State'". The New York Times. 14 June 1960. Retrieved 1 August 2023.

[6] Henry Kamm (19 March 1970). "SIHANOUK REPORTED OUT IN A COUP BY HIS PREMIER". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 January 2023.

[7] "Cambodian Queen is Dead in Peking". The New York Times. 28 April 1975. Retrieved 19 July 2021.

[8] Chandler, David (4 May 2018). A History of Cambodia (4th ed.). Routledge. p. 235. ISBN 978-0-429-96406-0. In 1960 Sihanouk's father, King Suramarit, died. After a series of maneuvers, Sihanouk had himself named Cambodia's chief of state with his mother, Queen Kossamak, continuing to serve as a monarch for ceremonial purposes.

[10] Henry Kamm (10 October 1970). "War Seems Far Away as Cambodia Becomes Republic". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 January 2023.

[11] "LON NOL TIGHTENS RULE IN CAMBODIA". The New York Times. Reuters. 11 March 1972. Retrieved 1 August 2023.

[12] "Lon Nol Turns Over Rule and Leaves". The New York Times. 2 April 1975. Retrieved 7 January 2023.

[13] Sydney Schanberg (13 April 1975). "MILITARY TAKING OVER IN CAMBODIA AS LAST AMERICANS ARE EVACUATED". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 January 2023.

[14] "Cambodians Designate Sihanouk as Chief for Life". The New York Times. UPI. 26 April 1975. Retrieved 30 July 2023.

[15] "PHNOM PENH SAYS SIHANOUK RESIGNS". The New York Times. UPI. 5 April 1976. Retrieved 30 July 2023.

[16] "Cambodia Announces Its New Government". The New York Times. AP. 14 April 1976. Retrieved 1 August 2023.

[17] David Binder (9 January 1979). "New Cambodia Leaders Identified In Radio Broadcast From Vietnam". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 August 2023.

[Upi1-18] Downie, Sue (24 September 1993). "Sihanouk reinstated as king of Cambodia". UPI Archives. Retrieved 12 August 2022.

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v t e Heads of state of Cambodia
French Protectorate (1863–1945; 1945–1953)	Norodom Sisowath Sisowath Monivong Norodom Sihanouk
Kingdom of Kampuchea (1945)	Norodom Sihanouk
Kingdom of Cambodia (1953–1970)	Norodom Sihanouk Norodom Suramarit Sisowath Kossamak ^‡ Chuop Hell ^* Sisowath Monireth ^* Chuop Hell ^* Norodom Sihanouk Cheng Heng ^*
Khmer Republic (1970–1975)	Cheng Heng Lon Nol Saukam Khoy ^* Sak Sutsakhan
Democratic Kampuchea (1975–1979)	Norodom Sihanouk Khieu Samphan
People's Republic of Kampuchea and State of Cambodia (1979–1993)	Heng Samrin Chea Sim Norodom Sihanouk
Kingdom of Cambodia (1993–present)	Norodom Sihanouk Norodom Sihamoni
^‡queen mother ^*acting

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