Bhutan’s Queen Jetsun Pema has released two new photographs to mark her son Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck’s fourth birthday.
The Queen of Bhutan, 33, nicknamed the Kate Middleton of the Himalayas, took Instagram to share the sweet images.
The second child of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan, 44, wore a beaming smile as he played outside in the first image.
Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, who is second in line of succession after his elder brother, Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel, looked elegant in traditional attire.
The second image offered a close-up shot of the four-year-old as he waved flags with a dragon motif, presumably taken during the Lunar New Year, which marked the start of the Year of the Dragon.
The Queen of Bhutan today shared two photographs of Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck (pictured) to mark her fourth birthday.
In one snap, he looked towards the camera with a calm expression while donning traditional Bhutanese attire.
The Queen shared the photographs with the caption: “Happy birthday to Her Royal Highness Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck, who turns 4 today.”
Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck was born on March 19, 2020 at Lingkana Palace in Thimphu.
This comes after Bhutan’s 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 introduced His Royal Highness the Gyalsem, who was named Sonam Yangden Wangchuck.
The royal household shared the happy news and photographs of the glamorous celebrations on the Queen’s official Instagram account.
The post explained that Sonam is a Bhutanese name meaning “merit, longevity and good fortune”.
The queen, who already has two sons, Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, seven, and Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, four, stunned in a traditional purple dress with gold patterns.
In the second image, the young royal sported a beaming smile as he played outside in traditional attire.
The King (center left) and Queen (center right) of Bhutan have three children, Jigme Namgyel (far left), Jigme Ugyen (far right) and Sonam Yangden (sitting on lap from his mother)
Meanwhile, Sonam was wrapped in a pale pink silk blanket and matching hat, which featured pink embellishments to echo the blanket.
Sonam’s older brothers, Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck and Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, looked equally adorable as they celebrated their sister and posed for photos.
The message explained: “His Royal Highness the Gyalsem is 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 appointment ceremony took place at Tashichhodzong on the occasion of the anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the Golden Throne in 2006.
“The ceremony was presided over by His Holiness 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 Dratshang representatives offered Ku Sung Thugten Mendrel. The Dzongdas, Thrizins and Lam Netens of twenty dzongkhags, representing the people of Bhutan, made buelwa offerings.
“His Royal Highness, the third child of Their Majesties the King and Gyaltsuen, was born on September 9 this year.”
Queen Jetsun Pema (pictured in May 2023), nicknamed 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 the coronation of King Charles with her husband in London in early May.
King Jigme, the popular fifth Druk Gyalpo, studied in the UK and the US and ascended the throne in 2006, just 26 years after his own father’s abdication.
Unlike his son, who plans 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 planned to have one wife, whom he married on October 13, 2011, while she was still an international relations student at Regent’s College London.
The match made headlines at the time because the young king was more openly affectionate with his wife than citizens were accustomed to – leaving the couple to be nicknamed “the William and Kate of the Himalayas”.
The King and Queen of Bhutan married in 2011 – the same year as Prince William and Kate – and have since welcomed children.
However, the king’s very public displays of affection – which included kissing his wife on the cheek and holding her hand – were well received by young people, with many even choosing to follow the royal family’s lead.
The couple have an unusually close family, with the king’s sister and brother being married to the queen’s brother and sister.
The Queen’s older sister, Yeatso Lhamo, is married to the King’s brother, Prince Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.