Congratulations are in order for the king and queen of Bhutan, who have announced they are expecting their third child together. The couple already share sons Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, seven, and Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, three.
“Their Majesties the Druk Gyalpo and Gyaltsuen are happy to share the news that Her Majesty is expecting their third child, due in early autumn,” the couple announced via an official Instagram account. “Their Majesties wish to thank everyone for their continued good wishes and prayers.”
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 43, whose official title is the Dragon King of Bhutan, and his wife, Jetsun Pema, 33, the Dragon Queen (dubbed the Kate Middleton of the Himalayas), recently attended the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The queen then made the journey to Jordan for the royal wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa. During her visit to the country, the queen spent time visiting the holy site of the baptism of Christ. Photos released by the Jordanian tourism ministry from the outing revealed the queen had a baby bump, although news of the new arrival had yet to be announced.
The king, who was educated in America and completed the Diplomatic Studies Programme at Magdalen College, Oxford, is the eldest son of Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth Dragon King, and his third wife, Tshering Yangdon. The former king has four wives and 10 children, meaning the current king has two siblings, as well as four half-sisters and three half-brothers.
The current Dragon King of Bhutan was crowned in December 2008, two years after the abdication of his father, who remains alive. In 2011, the eyes of the country—and the world—were on Bhutan as he married his distant cousin, Jetsun Pema, who attended school in Bhutan and India before graduating from Regent’s University London.
The couple welcomed their eldest son, believed to be the world’s youngest heir to a throne, at Lingkana Palace in Thimphu, on February 5, 2016. On his birth, the young prince displaced his uncle Prince Jigyel Ugyen of Bhutan as heir to the throne. His name was officially revealed two months later. Up until that point, he was known publicly as “the Gyalsey” or “the prince.” Their younger son, Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, was born in June 2020.
Both princes play a starring role in their parents’ curated social media presence–and soon they’ll have a new sibling joining them in front of the camera.
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
