Meet this Gen Z Cambodian princess praised by Chinese netizens for her beauty and intellect

We know all about UK royalty Prince William and Prince Harry, and maybe even Bhutan's adorable little prince. But do you know who Princess Norodom Pongsoriya is?

Even though she is a member of Cambodia's royal family, she has pretty much flown under the radar.

But the young royal recently gained attention — particularly in China — after her graduation photos were posted on the Cambodian royal family's official Instagram page. 

Here are six other things to know about this low-key Cambodian princess.

1. She is the niece of Cambodia's current king

Pongsoriya's father, Norodom Chakrapong, is the half-brother of Cambodia's current king, Norodom Sihamoni, who is unmarried and has no children. 

Both Chakrapong and Sihamoni share the same father, Norodom Sihanouk, the previous king of Cambodia. 

Interestingly enough, Chakrapong's mother, Sisowath Pongsanmoni, is also the half-sister of Sisowath Kossamak, who is the mother of Sihanouk.

2. She has a younger brother and 11 other half-siblings

Her father has had seven wives and 13 children in total. Pongsoriya has one younger brother who is fully blood-related and 11 other half-siblings with different mothers.

3. Her Chinese is probably better than yours

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Given that not many of the world's royals send their children to study in China, Pongsoriya's university choice created quite a buzz. Some even wondered if it could have been a political decision to strengthen Cambodia's ties with China.

But with all that said, Pongsoriya recently graduated from China's University of International Business and Economics with a bachelor's degree.

She even received an award for being the most outstanding student on the international degree programmes among this year's graduates, earning online praise from Chinese netizens for her beauty and intellect.

4. She's a 'Gen Z' princess — and that's all we know

If this is your first time hearing about Princess Pongsoriya, you're not alone.

Born in 1997, Pongsoriya has been described as a 'Gen Z' princess. Generation Z is categorised as those born between 1996 and 2010 and raised in the digital space of the internet and social media. But otherwise, not much is known about her.

She has kept a low profile compared to other royals in her family, and there is very little information about her on the internet. She has only recently come under the spotlight after the royal family released photos of her graduation.

Just do a quick Google search on her and you'll know what we mean!

5. Her grandmother, the queen mother of Cambodia, has close ties with China

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Pongsoriya's grandmother, the queen mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, is said to have had close ties with China for decades.

According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), the 84-year-old usually visits China every year with King Sihamoni. The king travels to Beijing for his health checkups twice a year, Xinhua reported.

In 2018, President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan also visited the Cambodian royal family at the Diaoyutai state guest house.

6. She has great fashion sense, as noted by netizens

In her graduation photo, Pongsoriya is seen wearing a high collar, white lace dress with intricate design patterns.

Netizens sang praises for her fashion sense, with some remarking that she has the "perfect convocation look with an understated style". 

trining@asiaone.com