PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Cambodia's nine-member throne council voted Th rsday to install Prince Norodom Sihamoni as king, a week after his ailing father's abdication, the BBC said.
Sihamoni, 51, is a former ballet dancer, and his father Sihanouk has said repeatedly he was the preferred choice of all his 14 children.
The 81-year-old Sihanouk announced his abdication last week, surprising most Cambodians and sparking a constitutional crisis, as there were no laws in place in the event of abdication.
Parliament convened and enabled the throne council to intervene.
The new king has virtually no experience in the largely ceremonial role, although he did serve as Cambodian ambassador to UNESCO. Sihamoni has lived in France for nearly 20 years and has spent most of his life outside Cambodia.
He is not married and has no children. He will probably be crowned later this month, Voice of America said.
His father remained in Beijing Th rsday, receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
