Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (born 21 February 1980) is the 5th and current reigning Dragon King (Druk Gyalpo) of the Kingdom of Bhutan. He became king on 14 December 2006, and was officially coronated on 6 November 2008.Khesar (pronounced Gesar) is the eldest son of the fourth and previous Dragon King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and his father's third wife, Queen (Ashi) Tshering Yangdon. He has a younger sister, Princess Dechen Yangzom, and brother, Prince Jigme Dorji, as well as four half-sisters and three half-brothers.
Engagement and marriage
Education
After completing his higher secondary studies from Yangchenphu Higher secondary school, Bhutan, Khesar studied abroad at Phillips Academy (Andover, Massachusetts), Cushing Academy and Wheaton College in Massachusetts, United States, before graduating from Magdalen College, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, where he completed the Foreign Service Programme and International Relations.
As Crown Prince, he has travelled abroad, officially representing Bhutan on several occasions and has an active role in numerous cultural, educational and economic organizations. He is an active basketball player and has represented Bhutan in many international events.
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. On 14 December 2006, the king abdicated and transferred the throne to Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck who was officially crowned on 6 November 2008, in the month of the male earth rat, in Punakha. Religious ceremonies and public celebrations were also held at Tashichhoedzong and Changlingmithang in Thimphu. The coronation ceremony comprised an ancient and colourful ritual, attended by thousands of foreign dignitaries, including President of India Pratibha Patil and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
CNN reported that, in order to welcome Khesar as King of Bhutan, people painted the street signs, hung festive banners and decorated traffic circles with fresh flowers to celebrate the occasion.
Accomplishments as king
The young king began his reign overseeing the democratization of his country: presiding over the last sessions of the present parliament where electoral laws, land reform and other important issues were deliberated. He stated that the responsibility of this generation for Bhutanese was to ensure the success of democracy. He also travelled extensively around the country to encourage participation in the upcoming democratic exercises, speaking mainly to the youth of Bhutan on the need for Bhutanese to strive for greater standards in education, business, civil service and the need for people of a small country to work harder than those of others.
He signed a new treaty of friendship with India in February 2007, replacing the treaty of 1949. Many government initiatives were undertaken by the new king with a view to strengthening the system in preparation for the democratic changes in 2008. Unlike other monarchs, King Jigme is personally overseeing the smooth transition to democracy and laying strong foundations for its success ever since. The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan was adopted on 18 July 2008, by the first elected parliament. On 1 November 2008, he was formally crowned in Punakha as the Fifth King of the Wangchuck Dynasty.
Since the formal coronation, King Jigme Khesar's first landmark project was the launching of the National Cadastral Resurvey in March 2009. The programme is aimed at resolving long-standing land issues of excess land that affects every Bhutanese household.
The King has also been giving away land to landless farmers around the country. The on-going project takes the King to remote villages and communities. He personally supervised the rebuilding efforts following major earthquakes and floods in 2009.
Popularity abroad
As Crown Prince of Bhutan, Khesar attended Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60th Anniversary Celebrations on 12–13 June 2006 in Bangkok along with royals from 25 countries. Known in the Thai press as Prince Jigme, the prince, at 26 the youngest of the visiting royals, caused a sensation, giving rise to a legion of female fans in Thailand. The Thai press dubbed him "Prince Charming", publishing his photograph and running stories about him as well as tourism in Bhutan for several weeks after he had left Thailand.
Styles
- 1980–2004: His Royal Highness Dasho Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck
- 2004–2006: His Royal Highness Chhoetse Penlop Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck
- 2006–present: His Majesty Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck , Mang-pos Bhur-ba'i rgyalpo, King of Bhutan
Marriage
Bhutan's legendary gross national happiness quotient went into overdrive with prayers soaring into the mountains surrounding the startlingly beautiful 17th century monastery-fortress in Bhutan's old capital as the country's 31-year-old reformist king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck crowned childhood sweetheart Ashi Jetsun Pema his queen.
Wearing the raven crown symbolic of the Wangchuck dynasty, the king was completely at ease and all cheeky smiles as his bride prostrated herself before him thrice and offered him a goblet of 'ambrosia' to signify everlasting life for the couple.
In his laidback, casual manner the king dispensed with all formality and held hands, talking soothingly to his nervous bride now and again. There was some buzz that either of the Gandhi siblings - Rahul and Priyanka - would attend the ceremony, but they did not show up. India was more than adequately represented by minister of state for commerce and industry Jyotiraditya Scindia and his wife, West Bengal governor MK Narayanan, a posse of former ambassadors and the ebullient envoy to Bhutan Pavan K Varma.
Luminous in gold, red and black, the new queen seemed overwhelmed by the weight of history in the ancient monastery. The highest abbot in the land, Je Khenpo, presided over the ceremony attended by royalty from the region and under the watchful eye of the young king's father, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
Earlier the couple underwent a purification ceremony in front of the enormous Thongdral tapestry of Bhutan's 17th century monk-king founder Zhabdrung.
The king took pains to stop and admire each of the many dances put on for him and to greet and chat with the dignitaries. There was no tawdry memorabilia, no over-the-top emotions, just a graceful show of joy and gratitude by the gathering of people who had walked miles to be part of this day.
Praising his new wife, the king spoke to the media of her warmth and intelligence and the common love of art that bound them together. As he joined the new queen and the entire audience in a dance at the end of the ceremony, it was quite clear that the bonds of the love affair that started when she was seven and he 17, go far beyond that.
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