Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema

His Majesty The King met with the Sultan of Brunei, His Majesty Hassanal Bolkiah, and the Prime Minister of Singapore, His Excellency Lee Hsien Loong, while in Brunei today. His Majesty and Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen are in Brunei for the royal wedding of Prince ‘Abdul Mateen and Princess Anisha Rosnah, on the invitation of the Sultan and Queen of Brunei. The Royal Wedding was attended by leaders from around the world.

Congratulations to His Royal Highness Prince 'Abdul Mateen and Her Royal Highness Pengiran Anisha Rosnah binti Adam with our wishes for a wonderful marriage filled with happiness and blessings. ༶ ༶ ༶ On the invitation of Their Majesties the Sultan and Queen of Brunei, Their Majesties are in Brunei for the royal wedding of His Royal Highness Prince 'Abdul Mateen. This morning, Their Majesties graced the Royal Bersanding Ceremony- the wedding reception, which was held at the royal throne hall of Istana Nurul Iman, in the capital city Bandar Seri Begawan. The Royal Wedding was attended by world leaders, including the King and Queen of Malaysia, the Presidents of Indonesia and the Philippines, the Prime Minister of Singapore, as well as Royal guests and leaders from the Middle East and other parts of the world. His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen, son of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, married Yang Mulia Dayang Anisha Rosnah binti Adam.

2 January 2024: Their Majesties welcomed a group of Thimphu children to recite Lolay at Lingkana Palace on Nyilo. Nyilo is a holiday which marks the lengthening of days, and is celebrated as the beginning of a new year in parts of western Bhutan. The holiday is traditionally celebrated with children going from house to house reciting“Lolay” or wishes for a good year. The verses of this song describe all the different parts of a traditional homestead, wishing bounty and plenty for each part. The children would be presented with gifts of food, with which they enjoyed a picnic. The charming tradition has been revived since the late 2000’s, with the efforts of Tarayana Foundation and Folk Heritage Museum. Since then, it has become tradition for children to be welcomed to Lingkana Palace each year on Nyilo to sing Lolay wishes.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year 🎊 May 2024 bring love, peace and happiness to all.

His Majesty The King, Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen, and the members of the Royal Family offered prayers and butter lamps at Semtokha Dzong today for the Late Amir of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The Chief Advisor, Advisors of the Interim Government, senior government officials, and members of the diplomatic community attended the prayer ceremony. His Majesty The King also commanded special prayers to be performed and butter lamps to be offered across the country for the Late Amir. His Royal Highness Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck will be making a two day official visit to Kuwait as the Special Envoy of His Majesty The King, from 18 – 19 December 2023, to pay respects and offer condolences to the Ruling Family Members and the people of Kuwait. During the official visit, HRH Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck will also offer felicitations to His Highness Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, for assuming the responsibilities as the Amir of the State of Kuwait. HRH Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck will be accompanied by the former Prime Minister of Bhutan, Dasho (Dr.) Lotay Tshering and other officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan. His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Late Amir of Kuwait, passed away on 16 December 2023, at the age of 86. Subsequently, the Crown Prince His Highness Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was named as the Amir of Kuwait on 16 December 2023. Diplomatic relations between Kuwait and Bhutan were established on 23 May 1983. This year marked the 40th anniversary of bilateral relations between the two countries. Bhutan and Kuwait enjoy friendly relations based on mutual trust, respect, and genuine goodwill.

His Majesty The King will Address the Nation from Changlimithang Stadium on this special National Day. The Royal Address will be broadcast Live on the official Facebook page for His Majesty The King beginning 9 am tomorrow.

9 December 2023: Her Royal Highness the Gyalsem has been named Sonam Yangden Wangchuck. Sonam is a Bhutanese name denoting merit, longevity and good fortune. The name Yangden, meaning precious jewel, signifies prosperity and wellbeing. The naming ceremony was held at Tashichhodzong on the anniversary of His Majesty’s accession to the Golden Throne in 2006. The ceremony was presided over by His Holiness the Je Khenpo. His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Their Majesties the Queen Mothers and Members of the Royal Family were present for the ceremony. Representatives of the Dratshang offered Ku Sung Thugten Mendrel. The Dzongdas, Thrizins, and Lam Netens of twenty dzongkhags, representing the people of Bhutan, made buelwa offerings. Her Royal Highness, the third child of Their Majesties The King and Gyaltsuen, was born on September 9 this year.

9 December 2023: Her Royal Highness the Gyalsem has been named Sonam Yangden Wangchuck. Sonam is a Bhutanese name denoting merit, longevity and good fortune. The name Yangden, meaning precious jewel, signifies prosperity and wellbeing. The naming ceremony was held at Tashichhodzong on the anniversary of His Majesty’s accession to the Golden Throne in 2006. The ceremony was presided over by His Holiness the Je Khenpo. His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Their Majesties the Queen Mothers and Members of the Royal Family were present for the ceremony. Representatives of the Dratshang offered Ku Sung Thugten Mendrel. The Dzongdas, Thrizins, and Lam Netens of twenty dzongkhags, representing the people of Bhutan, made buelwa offerings. Her Royal Highness, the third child of Their Majesties The King and Gyaltsuen, was born on September 9 this year.

6 December 2023: Her Majesty Gyalyum Tshering Yangdoen Wangchuck and His Royal Highness Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel graced the Tashi Rabney and Sertog installation of the Utse of Tango Monastery this morning. The ceremony was presided over by the Dorji Lopen. Tango Monastery, which was originally built in 1689 by the 4th Druk Desi Tenzin Rabgye, houses the Institute of Advanced Vajrayana Studies. Work on the Tango Utse started in December 2018, as the first phase of Tango Restoration Project implemented by the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development. The Reconstruction of the Utse was completed in November this year. Tango Monastery is a religious site of great national importance. Besides being a historic landmark and an important school of Buddhism, the monastery houses ancient debri paintings of the Menlug tradition dating back to the 17th century. These paintings, using mineral pigments and intricate gold gildings, are a national and global heritage. The reconstruction work was carried out with great care to ensure the structural integrity of this historic monument. The efforts resulted in the successful reintegration of 700 square meters of wall paintings, which were detached for preservation, back into the Utse- a pioneering achievement that reflects Bhutan’s commitment to preserving its cultural heritage for posterity. The second phase of the project will continue with the repair and reconstruction of the surrounding structures in the complex.

11 November 2023: His Royal Highness Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck graced the Sertog installation ceremony of the Utse of Pangbisa Dzong in Paro. The ceremony presided over by the Dorji Lopen and Laytshog Lopen, was held on the birth anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. To mark the auspicious event, His Royal Highness planted a cypress tree at the grounds of the dzong. The Dzong in Pangbisa, built by His Majesty The King, will house the Druk Gyalpo’s Institute, which includes The Royal Academy.

“His Majesty assumed the mantle and responsibilities of Kingship at the age of 16, when ordinary people are still growing up. By the age of 51, when most people are still striving to achieve their lifelong goals, His Majesty, at the height of his golden reign, abdicated the Throne after having already accomplished prodigious feats. Where ordinary people crave wealth and power, His Majesty crowned a new King, introduced democracy and handed over the responsibility of governance to his people. Such an act of superlative altruism was unprecedented in the history of the world.” - His Majesty The King 11th November 2015 On this special day, we offer our prayers for the good health, long life and happiness of His Majesty Our Beloved Drukgyal Zhipa.

24 October 2023: Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen, accompanied by His Royal Highness Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck, attended the Dassain tika ceremony at the Devi Panchayan Mandir at Kuenselphodrang this morning. Her Majesty and His Royal Highness Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck received tika from the pandits who have been conducting the 10-day Durga Puja at the Mandir. Her Majesty offered prayers to the Goddess Durga, and met with the people who had come to the Mandir to offer their prayers, receive tika, and meet Her Majesty and His Royal Highness Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck. Dassain is the most important festival for the Hindu community in Bhutan. The festival celebrates the victory of good over evil, commemorating the victory of Lord Ram, an incarnation of Vishnu, over the demon Ravana. In the Ramayana, Lord Ram is said to have offered prayers to Goddess Durga, culminating in his victory in battle on the tenth day. Dassain is celebrated by families together, with children visiting parents to receive tika. The tika symbolizes elder’s blessings for the wellbeing of their children.