The Dragon King: who is the handsome and charismatic ruler of Bhutan

The Dragon King of Bhutan he just turned 43 yesterday and the young monarch certainly has a lot to celebrate. Charismatic, progressive and at the head of one extraordinarily photogenic family (his glamorous wife has been dubbed the ‘Kate Middleton of the Himalayas’), is revered in his country and widely recognized as having modernized the mountain nation.

Born in 1980, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the eldest son of Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth Dragon King, and his third wife, Tshering Yangdon (the polygamous king had a total of four wives, all sisters). He ascended the throne in November 2008 after his father abdicated in his favour.

The King and Queen of Bhutan with Prince William and Kate Middleton during their 2016 visit.

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After his studies in Bhutan, the young prince was sent to the United States: He enrolled first at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts (the alma mater of Presidents George HW Bush and George W. Bush) and then at Cushing Academy in nearby Ashburnham. He stayed in Massachusetts for college, graduated from Wheaton College, before embarking on the Diplomatic Studies program at Magdalen College in Oxford.

As crown prince, Jigme returned to Bhutan to support his father. Player of basketballenthusiast photography And historythe prince was besieged by fans during an official visit to Thailand and considered one of bachelors most palatable in Asia. But she was Jetsun Pemaa descendant of one of the oldest noble families of Bhutan, to win her heart.

The Dragon King of Bhutan.

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Young Druk Gyalpo, o dragon kingannounced his engagement in May 2011 and the couple married in October of the same year (it was a year full of royal weddings, William And Kate, Zadar And Mike Tindall and the Prince Albert II and the Princess Charlene of Monaco who are married).

Describing his bride-to-be, the king said: “Many will have their own idea of ​​what a queen should be like: that she should be of a unique beauty, intelligent And graceful… For the queen, what is most important is that at all times, as an individual, she wants to be a good human beingand as queen, she must be unshakable in his commitment to serve the people and the country. As my queen, I have found such a person and her name is Jetsun Pema. Despite being young, she has a warm and kind heart and disposition. These qualities of hers, together with the wisdom of hers which will come to her from her age and experience, will make her a great servant of the nation.’ The queen is one distant cousin who was educated in London, and was just 21 when the couple married. The king and queen’s families are also closely related: the king’s half-sister, Princess Eeuphelma Choden Wangchuck of Bhutan, is married to Dasho Thinlay Norbu, the queen’s younger brother.

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Their firstborn, the Prince Jigme Namgyelwas born in Thimphu’s Lingkana Palace on 5 February 2016, replacing his uncle Prince Jigyel Ugyen of Bhutan as heir to the throne. His name was officially revealed two months later. Up to this point, he was known publicly as ‘the Gyalsey’ or ‘the prince’. The younger son, Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, was born in June 2020.

The King and Queen – who attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September and welcomed William and Kate to the country in 2016 – they are popular at home and abroad, and the ruler is known as the “king of the people”. He supervised the depenalization of homosexualityhe supervised the democratization of Bhutan and has made speeches urging citizens to strive for higher standards ininstructionin the business and in public administration.


Source: Vanity Fair

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