218 The Royal Residence

For me the name King Norodom Sihanouk strikes a cord. As the young king after WWII he insisted on independence from the French. Allowed in 1953 he spent 15 years as a King of many hats. He was also prince, prime minister, chief of state, king again and now, after a surprise abdication His Majesty King Father. He was overthrown by the military in 1970 and fled to China. There they convinced him to throw in with the Khmer Rouge. Then in a surprise move in 2004 he gave the thrown to his son, King Sihamoni, a former Ballet Dancer. (Thanks to Lonely Planet)