Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (འཇིགས་མེད་གེ་སར་རྣམ་རྒྱལ་དབང་ཕྱུག་, Wylie: 'jigs med ge sar rnam rgyal dbang phyug;[4] born 21 February 1980) is Druk Gyalpo or "Dragon King" of the Kingdom of Bhutan.[5] After his father Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicated the throne in his favour, he became the monarch on 9 December 2006. A public coronation ceremony was held on 1 November 2008, a year that marked 100 years of monarchy in Bhutan.

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
King of Bhutan
Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King)
Druk Gyalpo
Reign9 December 2006–present
Coronation1 November 2008
PredecessorJigme Singye Wangchuck
Heir apparentCrown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck[1]
Prime Ministers
Born (1980-02-21) 21 February 1980
Kathmandu, Nepal[2][3]
Spouse
​
(m. 2011)​
IssuePrince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck
Prince Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck
Standard Tibetanའཇིགས་མེད་གེ་སར་རྣམ་རྒྱལ་དབང་ཕྱུག
HouseWangchuck
FatherJigme Singye Wangchuck
MotherTshering Yangdon
ReligionVajrayana Buddhism
Signature

Early life and education

Khesar is the eldest son of the fourth Dragon King of Bhutan,[6] Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and his third wife, Queen Ashi Tshering Yangdon.[7] He has a younger sister, Princess Ashi Dechen Yangzom, and brother, Prince Gyaltshab Jigme Dorji, as well as four half-sisters and three half-brothers.[8]

After completing his higher secondary studies at Yangchenphug High School, Khesar studied abroad at Phillips Academy Andover with the Class of 1998, then transferred to Cushing Academy, where he finished high school. He then attended Wheaton College before graduating from Magdalen College, University of Oxford, where he completed the Foreign Service Programme and International Relations.[9]

Crown Prince

The Crown Prince, popularly known to the people of Bhutan as 'Dasho Khesar', accompanied his father on his many tours throughout the Kingdom to meet and speak to the people. He also officially represented Bhutan on several international events. On 8 May 2002, he represented Bhutan at the 27th UN General Assembly and made his first speech to the United Nations, addressing issues related to the welfare of millions of children around the world.[10] He attended Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60th Anniversary Celebrations on 12–13 June 2006 in Bangkok along with royals from 25 countries.[11]

On 25 June 2002 the Crown Prince was awarded the Red Scarf by his father.[12]

Trongsa Penlop

On 31 October 2004, Khesar was installed as the 16th Trongsa Penlop[13] in Trongsa Dzong. The institution of the Trongsa Penlop, started by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1647, signifies the true heritage to the Bhutanese Throne and the investiture ceremony of the Trongsa Penlop is the formal declaration of this status of the Crown Prince.[14]

Ascension to the throne

In December 2005, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck announced his intention to abdicate in his son's favour in 2008, and that he would begin handing over responsibility to him immediately.[15] On 9 December 2006, the former King issued a Royal Edict announcing his abdication, and transferred the throne to Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck,[16] who was officially crowned on 6 November 2008,[17][18] in Punakha. Religious ceremonies and public celebrations were also held at Tashichho Dzong and Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu. The coronation ceremony comprised an ancient and colourful ritual, attended by few selected foreign friends of the royal family and dignitaries, including the then-President of India, Pratibha Patil.[19][20]

To welcome Khesar as King of Bhutan, people painted street signs, hung festive banners and decorated traffic circles with fresh flowers.[21][22] He received white, yellow, red, green, and blue silk scarves.[23]

Marriage

Royal wedding
Main article: Wedding of Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Jetsun Pema

As he opened the session of parliament on Friday, 20 May 2011, the King announced his engagement to Jetsun Pema, born in Thimphu on 4 June 1990. They were married on 13 October 2011 in Punakha Dzong. The wedding was Bhutan's largest media event ever. The ceremony was held in Punakha, followed by formal visits to different parts of the country. During the ceremony the King also received the Phoenix Crown of the Druk Gyaltsuen (Dragon Queen) from the most sacred Machhen temple of the Dzong and bestowed it on Jetsun Pema, formally proclaiming her Queen of the Kingdom of Bhutan. The wedding was held in traditional style with the "blessings of the guardian deities".[24][25][26]

Children

On 11 November 2015, it was announced that the King and Queen of Bhutan were expecting their first child, a son, early in 2016.[27][28] They announced the arrival of their son[29] Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, who was born in Lingkana Palace in Thimphu, on 5 February 2016.[30]

On 17 December 2019, it was reported that they were expecting their second child, to be born in Spring 2020.[31] Their second son was born in Lingkana Palace in Thimphu on 19 March 2020.[32][33][34][35] They formally uploaded the photo of their second son on 31 March 2020, through the official Facebook page.[36] On 30 June 2020, the Royal Family announced that the second Gyalsey had been named Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, and would be known as His Royal Highness Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck.[37][38]

As king

Democratisation

The young king began his reign overseeing the democratization of Bhutan by presiding over the last sessions of the parliament where electoral laws, land reform and other important issues were debated.[39] He said that the responsibility of this generation of Bhutanese was to ensure the success of democracy. He traveled extensively to explain and discuss the Draft Constitution of Bhutan with the people and to encourage participation in the upcoming democratic exercises. He continues such visits, speaking mainly to young people on the need for Bhutanese to strive for higher standards in education, business, civil service, and the need for people of a small country to work harder than those of others.[40][41]

Diplomacy

The King signed a new treaty of friendship with India in February 2007, replacing the treaty of 1949.[42] Many government initiatives were undertaken by the new King with a view to strengthen the system in preparation for the democratic changes in 2008. The Constitution of Bhutan was adopted on 18 July 2008 by the first elected parliament.

Land reform

The King's first landmark project after his formal coronation was launching the National Cadastral Resurvey in March 2009, aimed at resolving long-standing issues of excess land that affect every Bhutanese household. A variation of land reform focuses on improving the lives of people living in remote and difficult areas, with the Rehabilitation Project. The pilot Rehabilitation Project at Khinadang in Pemagatshel was initiated in June 2011,[43] and inaugurated by Prince Gyaltshab Jigme Dorji Wangchuck on 28 October 2014.[44] The Project resettled people living in less accessible areas to villages, and provided them with basic amenities and services, as well as support in agriculture. The project saw tremendous success, and similar projects are in the pipeline in other parts of Bhutan.[45]

Kidu

One of the most important and ongoing works of the King involves Kidu, a tradition based on the rule of a Dharma King whose sacred duty is to care for his people. The people can access Kidu in several ways: by applying to the Office of the Royal Chamberlain, which accepts applications during working hours; by sending applications through Dzongkhag Kidu Officers in every district, whose responsibility is to collect such applications as well as identify people who need help; and by appealing to the King directly. To give the people the opportunity for direct appeal, the King on his numerous road trips across the country stops for every potential appellant along the road.[46]

There are several Kidu schemes designed to help certain groups of people, such as students unable to afford even the free education available in the country, elderly citizens, and those requiring medical treatment. The King has also continued the tradition of giving state land to landless farmers around the country. The ongoing project takes him to remote villages and communities.[47] Kidu includes providing immediate assistance to victims of natural disasters. The King personally supervised the rebuilding efforts following major earthquakes and floods in 2009 and 2011.[48][49]

In 2012, the King granted Nu.100 million from the Armed Forces to the Zhung Dratshang for the Dzong Reconstruction Fund, as on 24 June, the historic Wangduephodrang Dzong was destroyed by fire. As Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, he commanded the armed forces and De-Suups to the site immediately, and with help from dzongkhag officials and citizens, many things were saved from the fire. The King himself rushed to the scene within hours.[50]

DeSuung Training Programme

The King initiated military-style training for volunteers known as the DeSuung Training Programme in 2011, on the request of the youth. The programme aims to equip volunteers with the skill to provide assistance during emergencies, and has been hugely successful, with over 3000 volunteers having completed their training and volunteering for public events and emergencies.[51]

Amnesty

The Constitution of Bhutan empowers the King to grant amnesty to prisoners. In 2014 he pardoned 45 prisoners who had been imprisoned for possessing an excessive amount of tobacco, following an amendment of the Tobacco Control Act of Bhutan 2010 by the Parliament of Bhutan, since the amended law could not be enforced retroactively, and previous offenders who would not be liable now would still be tried under previous laws. The Royal Pardon was granted to those who were not repeat offenders and had good prison records.[52]

Public perception and popularity abroad

The "People's King", like his father, enjoys exceptionally warm relations with India.[53] He has visited India on several occasions, and was invited as the Chief Guest for India's 64th Republic Day celebrations in 2013.[54]

Following his 2006 visit to Thailand as Crown Prince, the King has been immensely popular in Thailand. The number of Thai tourists visiting Bhutan has increased steadily since the visit.[55]

In November 2011, the King and Queen Jetsun Pema made a state visit to Japan; they were the first state guests to Japan since the 2011 earthquake. It was reported that the Japanese were infatuated with the King and Queen of Bhutan.[56][57][58]

In March 2015, the King and Queen were among the foreign dignitaries who attended the funeral of Singapore's former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.[59]

Also, the King and the Queen attended the funeral of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand in October 2017 and the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan in October 2019.

Styles
Styles of
King of Bhutan
Reference styleHis Majesty
Spoken styleYour Majesty
Alternative styleDruk Gyalpo
  • 1980–2004: His Royal Highness Dasho Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
  • 2004–2006: His Royal Highness Chhoetse Penlop Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
  • 2006–present:

Honours
See also: List of honours of the Bhutanese Royal Family by country

National honours

Foreign honours

Ancestry

See also

References
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Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Born: 21 February 1980
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Jigme Singye Wangchuck		 King of Bhutan
2006–present		 Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck
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