King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck led Bhutan’s National Day celebrations on Tuesday at the Thimphu Stadium. The sovereign was surrounded by members of his family, including his wife, his mothers-in-law, his brothers and sisters, and even his grandmother. King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck notably delivered his annual speech, alongside his young heir and the former king.
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King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck, Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck and former king at the heart of the colorful festivities
King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck, 44, delivered his annual National Day address on the morning of December 17, 2024. December 17 is the National Day of Bhutan, in memory of December 17, 1907. On this date, the penlop (governor) of Tongsa, Ugyen Wangchuck, unified Bhutan, ending many civil wars. He was then elected king of unified Bhutan and was the first king of the Wangchuck dynasty. The current king is his great-great-grandson.
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The queens, princes and princesses of Bhutan gathered at the Thimphu stadium
King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck made his public appearance at the Changlimithang Stadium, the largest stadium in the country, located in the capital Thimphu. The 5th King of Bhutan was accompanied by his heir, Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, and his predecessor, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, fourth king of Bhutan. King Jigme Singye abdicated in December 2006. The former king has attended few public engagements since his retirement.
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King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck delivered his speech in the middle of the stadium, surrounded by his successor and predecessor. Also standing next to the dais were his wife, Queen Jetsun Pema, and his second son, Prince Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck. King Jigme Singye was also accompanied by several wives. The former king has four wives, all of whom bear the title of Queen Mother (Gyalyum Kude). The current king’s grandmother, mother of the former king, was also present. Queen Choden Wangchuck bears the title of Gyalyum Kesangor queen grandmother.
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Speech by King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck on the occasion of the 117th National Day of Bhutan
The King began his speech by recalling that “National Day is a sacred occasion for the Bhutanese: a time to pay tribute to our visionary monarchs and ancestors for their sacrifices in building this precious nation, and to collectively reaffirm our unwavering commitment to strengthening unity, peace, security and sovereignty of our country.” In his long speech, the sovereign addressed the questions of democracy and meritocracy. “It is essential that we continue to strengthen our democratic system to ensure that our institutions can guarantee our security and sovereignty.”
Another important point addressed in his speech is the need to fundamentally reform his country’s bureaucracy. King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck gives himself ten years to achieve this. The next point was about the law, emphasizing that the legislative system was too complex. Here too, he is giving himself 10 years to rewrite the country’s laws and simplify them, with the aim of becoming an example in the world of a simplified legislative system. Finally, the last point concerns education and the need to improve the education system. “ What we lack in numbers, we must make up for in discipline, dedication, hard work, loyalty and intelligence. » Bhutan is a country the size of Belgium, located in the Himalayas, landlocked between India and China. The country has less than 800,000 inhabitants.
Nicolas Fontaine
Editor-in-chief
Nicolas Fontaine has been a designer-editor and author for numerous Belgian and French brands and media. A specialist in royal family news, Nicolas founded the site Histoires royales of which he is the editor-in-chief. [email protected]
