Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema recently visited a special exhibition in Thimphu with their two sons to honor former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who turns 70 this year.
Titled “The Visionary Monarch: A Tribute to the Fourth King’s Enduring Legacy,” the exhibition has been running at the Royal Textile Academy since June. Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel, widely known as the “Dragon Prince,” officially opened the exhibition on behalf of the royal family two months earlier.
During the Aug. 6 visit, 10-year-old Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck and his younger brother, 6-year-old Prince Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, attracted attention as they toured the exhibition with their parents. Dressed in traditional Bhutanese attire with knee-high black socks, the two princes posed for photographs in front of artwork dedicated to their grandfather, who abdicated in 2006.
Their younger sister, two-year-old Princess Sonam, did not attend the outing.
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King Jigme Khesar of Bhutan, Queen Jetsun Pema, and their two sons pose in front of an artwork honoring former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Photo from Instagram/King Jigme Khesar |
Jigme Singye Wangchuck introduced sweeping reforms during his 32-year reign, helping steer Bhutan from an absolute monarchy toward a democratic constitutional system, according to Hello. He is also closely associated with the concept of Gross National Happiness, which places people’s well-being alongside economic development as a measure of national progress.
The Fourth King formally abdicated on Dec. 9, 2006, as Bhutan prepared for democratic reforms that culminated in its first national parliamentary elections in 2008.
Explaining the decision at the time, he argued that political reform should take place while the country was peaceful and stable rather than being forced by crisis or revolution.
The former monarch was partly educated in the U.K., attending Summerfields preparatory school in Sussex and Heatherdown near Ascot, Tatler reported. The schools have also educated prominent figures including Prince Edward and former British Prime Minister David Cameron.
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King Jigme Khesar with his eldest son. Photo from Instagram/King Jigme Khesar |
King Jigme Khesar married Jetsun Pema in 2011, when she was 21, according to Business Insider.
The couple have often been dubbed the “William and Kate of the Himalayas” by international media. The King has championed modernization, sustainable development and environmental causes, while Queen Jetsun Pema has been recognized for her work supporting early childhood development and mental health.
They have three children: Prince Jigme Namgyel, Prince Jigme Ugyen and Princess Sonam.