Their Majesties the King and Queen and members of the Royal Family again presided over official ceremonies at the Amarindra Vinitchai Throne Hall in the Grand Palace. It was a long one, almost two hours long, as it included both a Buddhist Ceremony and a Brahmin one. First, the ceremony included the raising of ranks for 69 Buddhist monks, a normal thing for a very special occasion. Then there was a blessing ceremony for the Royal Regalia, which is very rare to see. The Brahmin Ceremony is a very ancient one, including the circling of candles by members of the Royal Family, the Privy Council and high ranking government officials. I believe that Thailand is the only country in the world where we incorporate both Buddhist traditions with Brahmin ceremonies. I am happy to see that this is still practiced in the Kingdom and continues to be so for a long time to come, as since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, the then government has cut down over fifty percent of the traditional Court Ceremonies. I believe that these ceremonies together is the core of our ancient culture.