Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan has shared two new photographs of her daughter on her first birthday to mark a national holiday.
The Queen of Bhutan, nicknamed the Kate Middleton of the Himalayas, showed up Instagram to share the sweet pictures of Sonam Yangden Wangchuck.
The 34-year-old royal shared never-before-seen footage to mark Tshechu, a religious festival in Bhutan.
In the post, the one-year-old wore a traditional outfit in a deep red hue with colorful patterns.
The young royal looked equally adorable in the second photo, where she looked sweetly to her side.
Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan has shared two new photographs of her daughter, Sonam Yangden Wangchuck (pictured), on her first birthday.
Jestun Pema wrote: “Happy Tsechu to everyone in Thimphu! To celebrate, we are delighted to share these photographs of Her Royal Highness Gyalsem Sonam Yangden Wangchuck taken on her first birthday on 9 September 2024.”
The royal, who is married to King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan, 44, added: “May your celebrations be filled with joy and togetherness!”
Sonam, who was born last year, is a Bhutanese name denoting ‘merit, longevity and good fortune’.
This comes after Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan posted two photographs to mark her son Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck’s fourth birthday in March.
The second son of Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was beaming as he played outside in the first image.
Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, second in line to the throne after his elder brother Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel, looked dapper in his traditional attire.
The second image featured a close-up of the four-year-old holding flags with a dragon design, presumably taken on the Lunar New Year, which marked the beginning of the Year of the Dragon.
In the snapshot, she looked towards the camera with a peaceful expression while wearing a traditional Bhutanese outfit.
The royals shared never-before-seen images to mark Tshechu, a religious festival celebrated in Bhutan.
The Queen shared the photos with the caption: ‘Happy Birthday to His Royal Highness Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck who turns 4 today.’
Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck was born on 19 March 2020 at the Lingkana Palace in Thimphu.
This comes after the Bhutanese royal family held a lavish naming ceremony in December to announce the name of their third child.
Three months after giving birth to a daughter, Queen Jetsun Pema and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck presented His Royal Highness with the Gyalsem, named Sonam Yangden Wangchuck.
The royal family shared the happy news and photographs of the glamorous celebrations on the Queen’s official Instagram account.
The Queen, who already has two sons, Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck and Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, dazzled in a traditional purple dress with gold prints.
Meanwhile, Sonam was wrapped in a blush pink silk blanket and matching hat, which featured pink embellishments to echo the blanket.
Sonam’s elder brothers Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck and Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck looked equally adorable as they celebrated their sister and posed for photographs.
The post explained: ‘Her Royal Highness 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 well-being.
‘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 at the ceremony.
‘The representatives of the Dratshang offered Ku Sung Thugten Mendrel. The Dzongdas, Thrizins and Lam Netens of twenty dzongkhags, representing the people of Bhutan, made offerings of buelwa.
‘His Royal Highness, the third son of Their Majesties the King and Gyaltsuen, was born on September 9 this year.’
Queen Jetsun Pema (pictured May 2023), dubbed the Kate Middleton of the Himalayas, shared the snaps on Instagram.
Last year, the Queen joined world royalty at the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein of Jordan, and attended King Charles’ coronation with her husband in London in early May.
King Jigme, the highly popular fifth Druk Gyalpo, studied in the UK and the US and ascended to the throne in 2006, aged just 26, after his own father abdicated.
Unlike his son, who plans to have a monogamous marriage, the former king, who introduced democracy to Bhutan during his reign, has four wives, all sisters whom he married on the same day.
But despite his own upbringing, the current monarch has made it clear that he only plans to have one wife, whom he married on October 13, 2011, when she was still a student of international relations at Regent’s College in London.
The marriage made headlines at the time because the young king was more openly affectionate with his wife than citizens were used to, leading the couple to be dubbed “the William and Kate of the Himalayas.”
The King and Queen of Bhutan married in 2011 (the same year Prince William and Kate tied the knot) and have since had three children.
However, the King’s public displays of affection (which included kissing his wife on the cheek and holding her hand) were welcomed by young people, and many even decided to follow the royal family’s example.
The couple have an unusually close family: the King’s sister and brother are married to the Queen’s brother and sister.
The Queen’s elder sister, Yeatso Lhamo, is married to the King’s brother, Prince Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.
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