Life in pictures: Norodom Sihanouk

1 of 11 Eccentric, unpredictable but dearly loved by his people, 81-year-old Norodom Sihanouk has given up Cambodia's throne. On Friday he is due to see his son crowned in his place.

2 of 11 First crowned in 1941, Sihanouk has been at the forefront of his nation's turbulent history for more than 60 years.

3 of 11 When he came to the throne Cambodia was still a French colony. France wanted Sihanouk's role to be merely symbolic, but he soon became an active campaigner for independence.

4 of 11 As well as his duties as king, the young Sihanouk found time to indulge in numerous hobbies - sports, music and amateur film-making.

5 of 11 He was also known for his philandering, although he finally settled down with sixth wife Monique, an Italian-Cambodian he married in 1952.

6 of 11 In 1955 Sihanouk abdicated to strengthen his political hand, becoming prime minister - and increasingly intolerant of dissent.

7 of 11 During the Vietnam War, Sihanouk increasingly spoke out against the US. While on a foreign trip in 1970, just days after this photo was taken, he was ousted from power in a coup.

8 of 11 Driven into exile, Sihanouk initially allied himself with the Khmer Rouge movement. This now infamous picture shows him with Khieu Samphan [left], a key Khmer Rouge leader.

9 of 11 It was a pact he came to regret. When the Khmer Rouge took power, Cambodia descended into genocide.

10 of 11 In the years after the Khmer Rouge regime was defeated, Sihanouk was again exiled. But he returned in 1991 after a UN-brokered peace deal, and was later re-crowned.

11 of 11 In September 2004, he shocked Cambodia by announcing his abdication. His son Norodom Sihamoni took over as king, but Sihanouk is still likely to wield a significant influence.