His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej yesterday commemorated the 60th anniversary of his accession to the throne by presiding over a royal and religious ceremony at the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall to pay homage to the great Siamese kings of the past.

At exactly 10am, Their Majesties the King and Queen proceeded in a motorcade from Chitralada Palace to the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. It was a day of great rejoicing as hundreds of thousands of people, clad in yellow shirts, gathered at the Royal Plaza and the surrounding area to bear witness to this auspicious and historic celebration.

Yellow is the colour of His Majesty the King, as he was born on a Monday.

Thais from all walks of life braved the heat to get a glimpse of Their Majesties and to show their love and respect for them.

Their Majesties proceeded to a pavilion temporarily set up outside the throne hall to hold a religious ceremony paying homage to the former kings. They lit candles and joss-sticks to the Buddha statues associated with the kings: Phokhunsri Indrathit of Sukhothai, Somdej Prachao U-thong of Ayutthaya, King Taksin the Great of Thonburi and King Yodfa of Bangkok. These kings founded kingdoms which prospered and handed down a rich heritage going back more than 700 years.

HM the King presented fans as souvenirs of this religious ceremony to 10 monks of varying seniority. His Majesty then went back to take his seat and prepare to receive a blessing from the most senior monk.

Their Majesties then proceeded to the front of the pavilion, where the offerings were prepared. Their Majesties then turned to face Prasat Phrathep Bidorn and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, after which they lit candles and joss-sticks to pay respect to the former kings.

A court official struck a gong, while a Brahmin priest blew a large conch shell and a two-faced drum was beaten. The orchestra then began to play.

Their Majesties took their seats in front of the pavilion. The chief Brahmin priest read a prayer in celebration of the kings of the past. People gathered outside the throne hall at the Royal Plaza stood up and put their palms together in worship.

After the chief Brahmin completed his prayer, a court official struck the gong again in celebration. This was followed by the conch and two-faced drum. The orchestra then went into full swing.

His Majesty then presented the basic necessities to the senior monks and poured out water as part of the merit-making. The monks responded with a special blessing before taking leave to lunch at the Suan Bua Pleao Court, which is located in the Vimarnmekh Throne Hall.

Their Majesties then proceeded to the main hall of the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, where, at 11.30am, they granted an audience to the members of the Royal Family, members of the Privy Council, His Majesty's Principal Secretary, descendants of the Chakri Dynasty and other honoured guests.

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn proceeded to greet Their Majesties at the entrance to the throne hall. When Their Majesties appeared at the entrance on the south of the hall, the orchestra played celebratory music. The honour guard from the three armed forces paid respect to Their Majesties, and the Royal Anthem was played.

The Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy, Royal Thai Air Force and Royal Thai Police each fired 21 rounds from canon in their arsenals. Monks from all over the country blessed His Majesty. Leaders and followers of other religions also held their own ceremonies to bless His Majesty.

After the Royal Anthem, the Crown Prince opened a vessel with flowers, candles and joss-sticks. He blessed His Majesty by reading out a statement on behalf of all the members of the Royal Family. The Crown Prince then proceeded to an audience with Their Majesties inside the throne hall. Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra opened a vessel with flowers, candles and joss-sticks before reading a statement blessing His Majesty. Thaksin was acting on behalf of the Cabinet, the military and civil servants and commoners.