Royal Profile: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan was born 21 February 1980 as the son of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck and is the current reigning Druk Gyalpo or Dragon King, of the Kingdom of Bhutan{Source}.

 

He attended to his primary education in Bhutan, before studying his upper secondary education abroad in the UK and US{Source}. He attended a special program at the National Defense College in India in 2005{Source}. He has also received several honorary doctorates from the following universities including{Source}:

•  University of New Brunswick(Canda)
• Rangsit University (Thailand)
• Calcutta University (India)
• Keio University (Japan)

 

His father abdicated in 2006, and he became King on 9 December 2006{Source}. A public corranation ceremony was held on 1 November 2008{Source}. In addition to his regular duties as King of Bhutan, he oversees the Royal University of Bhutan as Chancellor; Patron of the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Patron of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies and the European Convention of Bhutan Societies; President, Bhutan India Friendship Association{Source}.

 

Since the formal coronation, King Jigme Khesar's first landmark project was the launching of the National Cadastral Resurvey in March 2009{Source}.The program is aimed at resolving long-standing land issues of excess land that affects every Bhutanese household{Source}. The King has also been giving land to landless farmers around the country. The on-going project takes the King to remote villages and communities{Source}.

 

On 20 May 2011, the King announced his engagement to Jetsun Pema{Source}. They Royal Couple were married on 13 October 2011 in the Punakha Dzong{Source}. During the ceremony the King also received the Crown of the Druk Gyal-tsuen (Queen) from the most sacred Machhen temple of the Dzong and bestowed it on Her Majesty Jetsun Pema, hereby formally proclaiming her the Queen of the Kingdom of Bhutan{Source}. On 5 February 2016, Queen Jetsun Pema gave birth to the couple's first child, The Gyalsey {Photos} {Source}