The son of Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema has been named Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck in an official naming ceremony.
The name is explained on the King’s official Facebook page. Jigme means fearless, and invokes the strength to confront any challenges that the future may present, without fear or hesitation, when the time comes for the Gyalsey to serve his country.Wangchuck, which connotes a person born with authority and majestic qualities, is inherited from the Wangchuck dynasty, of our hereditary Monarchy.
The baby boy was born on Friday 5 February at Lingkana Palace in Thimpu. The King was at the Queen’s bedside during the delivery and after birth, he was first presented to his grandfather, the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.
Prayer ceremonies were performed before the birth all over the country for which both the King and Queen were very grateful. The child was known as His Royal Highness The Gyalsey (Crown Prince). The news of the safe delivery was announced on the King´s official Facebook page. In honor of his birth, 108,000 trees were planted by tens of thousands of volunteers in Bhutan.
The current and fifth Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) is the second-youngest reigning monarch in the world. He acceded to the throne December 2006, aged 26, following his father’s abdication. In October 2011, he married 21-year-old Jetsun Pema in Punakha Dzong, making her the Druk Gyaltsuen (Dragon Queen).
The royals are both from large families – the King having a younger sister, three half-sisters and one half-brother whilst the Queen hails from one of Bhutan’s oldest noble families and is the second eldest of five children. Her elder sister is also the wife of the King’s brother.
Although Bhutan allows polygamy, the King has said he would never marry another woman and that Jetsun Pema will be his only wife.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Bhutan as part of a six day Bhutan/India tour, where they met with the King and Queen of Bhutan. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were blessed in a Buddhist temple, and lit lamps to ensure their visit was a safe and happy one. They tried their hand at archery and ‘khuru’ and trekked up a mountain to visit the ‘Tigers Nest’ Monastery.
