Large crowds dressed in black gathered outside the Grand Palace in downtown Bangkok for the ceremonial bathing of the portrait of Thailand’s late King Bhumibol Adulyadej,

The king, who died on Thursday, was a unifying figure in a country riven by political turmoil. Bhumibol ascended to the throne in 1946, when his brother, 20-year-old King Ananda Mahidol, was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in a palace bedroom under circumstances that remain mysterious. Bhumibol's only son, Maha Vajiralongkorn, was officially appointed crown prince and heir apparent on December 28, 1972, at the age of 20. Junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said he held an audience with the 64-year-old heir apparent, and said the crown prince had asked him to hold back his accession to the throne “until the proper time” to allow him time to grieve.
Thailand declares today a government holiday for mourning King Bhumibol Adulyadej's death.