5th king. Jigme Khesar Namgay Wangchuk (People's King).

 

Fifth King – Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.( Peoples King)

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the fifth ruler of Bhutan, born in 1980 was coronated in a ceremony on November 1, 2008. It was a significant time as 2008 marks the 100 years of monarchy in Bhutan.

King Jigme Khesar received a foreign education; he studied in the United States before graduating from Magdalen College, University of Oxford.

Even though King Jigme Singye Wangchuck surprised his people when he abdicated his throne two years ahead of plan. The nation’s doubt and concerns were quickly allayed during the young King’s first speech where he assured his people he would continue to rule with his father’s policies in mind.

Under the fifth King’s rule, he oversaw the implementation of the Constitution of Bhutan, gifting to his people the democracy his father has wished for.

After his coronation, the King’s first landmark project was the National Cadastral Resurvey in March 2009, which focuses on improving the lives of people living in remote parts of Bhutan. In 2011, he launched the Kidu foundation to provide to the people especially the children, elderly, disabled and those who are sick. The role of the Kidu Foundation is to work with government efforts to address critical issues in areas of education, the rule of law, democracy and media, sustainable economic development, and preservation of the country’s environmental and cultural heritage.

In 2011, he married Jetsun Pema and the Royal weeding was Bhutan’s largest media event in history. During the ceremony, the King bestowed the Crown of Druk Gyaltsuen (Queen) on Jetsun Pema, thus proclaiming her formally as the Queen of the Kingdom of Bhutan. The youngest queen in the world is often praised for her beauty, intelligence and kind heart.

That same year, the King also launched Dessung( guardian of Peace), a voluntary programme to encourage citizens to play an active role in nation-building. It's one of the most successful initiatives in Bhutan and more than 20,000 volunteers have been trained under the programme.

The young King, like his father, is popular at home and overseas. Together with the Queen, they travel internationally and have raised the profile of Bhutan as a sovereign country.The fifth King is well-loved by the people and is fondly known as the Peoples King. When the country was faced with the biggest challenges of navigating the COVID-19 global pandemic, the King was at the forefront of the nation overseeing all its pandemic responses. He personally visited the vulnerable areas to ensure that the country and its people are well-protected.