| His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck |
| The 4th Druk Gyalpo |
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Bhutan Royal Family The King |
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Jigme
Singye Wangchuck, the fourth King of Bhutan
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The King's speech in Samtse (Dec 2002)
Statistics
are impressive but it is the sentiments of farmers around the country which
best describe the achievements of the past three decades. Nostalgic village
elders point out that those who had to borrow food grain from neighbours
are now exporting food and driving tractors, drinking water has been brought
into the house, children are guaranteed survival at birth, people have
healthier animals and more pasture, cash crop and handicrafts are additional
sources of income, electricity lights up remote villages.
King
Jigme Singye Wangchuck knows many farmers around the country by name and
is in touch with their work, their problems, their lives. He is known to
spend long hours with students, sharing his innermost feelings, his disappointments
and satisfaction, plans and aspirations. It is His Majesty's own rule that
no Bhutanese citizen who comes to see him should be turned away. |
The office
of the Gyalpoi Zimpon (royal chamberlain) in Thimphu was established to
facilitate such visits and people meet His Majesty nearly every day for
a variety of reasons, from personal and domestic problems to legal disputes
and other petitions.
King
Jigme Singye Wangchuck is known to be a spiritual person and a strong patron
of the nation's religious heritage. He has protected and developed the
existing religious institutions and established several new ones. As a
family man with deep-rooted filial attachment he is an example of strong
family values, especially to the youth of Bhutan.
"Gross
National Happiness" - not gross national product - is the blend of
modernization, tradition, environmental purity, and spirituality that Bhutan
is seeking as the ultimate national objective. |
Royal
Family (National Day 2002)
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In
a world where many cultures, religions and identities have been sacrificed
for economic gain the kingdom is being increasingly respected for preserving
its heritage, its values, its identity. King Jigme Singye Wangchuck has
always maintained that, without military might or economic strength, Bhutan's
strength lies in the unity of the people through their loyalty and dedication
to the country and their distinct national identity.
The
world, today, notes with growing wonder that His Majesty, a hereditary
monarch at the peak of his reign, is handing over the reigns of governance
to the people. Personifying the crucial balance between tradition and modernity,
the royal vision is set into the distant future as King Jigme Singye Wangchuck
pledges his commitment to ensure the long term security, sovereignty, and
well being of the nation and the Bhutanese people.
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| Contributed
by KUENSEL, Bhutan's National Newspaper |
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December
14, 2006
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His
Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck becomes the 5th Druk Gyalpo |
more
Information
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March
24, 2008
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His
Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the 4th Druk Gyalpo, has initiated Bhutan's
transition to a democratic, constitutional monarchy. |
Elections
2008
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