Norodom Sihanouk has been a constant presence in the topsy-turvy world of Cambodian politics. A colourful character of many enthusiasms and shifting political positions, his amatory exploits dominated his early reputation. Later he became the prince who stage-managed the close of French colonialism, autocratically led an independent Cambodia, was imprisoned by the Khmer Rouge and, from privileged exile, finally returned triumphant as king, only to abdicate dramati­cally In 2004. He is many things to many people, a political chameleon, but whatever else he may be, he has proved himself a survivor.

Sihanouk, born in 1922, was not an obvious contender for the throne. He was crowned in 1941, at just 19, with his education incomplete. In 1952 he embarked on a self-styled 'royal crusade' for independence, which culminated in independence from the French in 19S3. In 1955 Sihanouk abdicated, and turned his attention to politics, winning every seat in parliament that year.

By the mid-1960s Sihanouk had been calling the shots in Cambodia for a decade. During this period, after innumerable love affairs, he finally settled on Monique Izzi, the daughter of a Franco-Italian father and a Cambodian mother, as his consort.

The conventional wisdom was that 'Sihanouk is Cambodia', his leadership the key to national success. However, as the country was inexorably drawn into the American War in Vietnam and government troops battled with a leftist insurgency in the countryside, Sihanouk increasingly was seen as a liability. With the economy in tatters, his obsessive involvement in the Cambodian film industry  and his public announcements proclaiming Cambodia 'an oasis of peace' suggested a man who had not only abdicated from the throne but also from reality.

On 18 March 1970 the National Assembly voted to remove Sihanouk from office. Sihanouk went into exile in Beijing and joined the communists. Following the Khmer Rouge victory on 17 April 1975, Sihanouk was confined to the Royal Palace as a prisoner of the Khmer Rouge. He remained there until early 1979 when, on the eve of the Vietnamese invasion, he was flown back to Beijing. It was to be more than a decade before Sihanouk finally returned to Cambodia.

Following his return and against all odds, he was back at centre stage again, calling the shots, forming alliances with the Khmer Rouge and breaking them off. After the May 1993 elections, Sihanouk abruptly announced that he was forming a coalition government with himself starring as president, prime minister and military leader. An ambitious move, it failed.

Sihanouk never quite gave up wanting to be everything for Cambodia: international states­man, general, president, film director, man of the people. On 24 September 1993, after 38 years in politics, he took on once again the role of king. In many ways his second stint as king was a frustrating time; reigning rather than ruling, he had to take a back seat to the politicians. He pulled Cambodia through political impasse on several occasions, but eventually enough was enough and he abdicated on 7 October 2004. Many reasons for his abdication were cited (old age, failing health), but most observers agree it was a calculated political decision to ensure the future of the monarchy, as the politicians were stalling on choosing a successor. His son King Sihamoni ascended the throne and Cambodia came through another crisis. However, it will be a hard act to follow, matching the presence of Sihanouk - the last in a long line of Angkor's god-kings.