70th Birth Anniversary of the 4th Druk Gyalpo, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck

All of Thimphu was festooned with flags, banners and images of “The Great Fourth” in anticipation of the celebration of his 70th birth anniversary. From what I understand, the celebration of his 60th was an understated affair and Bhutan wasn’t going to let this one pass by so easily. Sandwiched between the Global Peace Prayer Gathering and the Kalachakra Empowerment, preparations were already in place for the tens of thousands expected to attend.

The 5th Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Khesar Namgyel, precedes the 4th, Jigme Singye Wangchuck into the stadium for the celebration. Assuming the throne at the age of 17 on the death of his father, the third king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck served as king for 34 years before initiating democracy and voluntarily abdicating the throne to his son. Although Bhutan has a hereditary monarchy, there is a constitutionally based option to force abdication by a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly followed by a national referendum with a simple majority in all twenty districts of the country. After nearly a year spent in Bhutan, we have yet to meet anyone the least bit unhappy with the monarchy.

By 8 p.m. the night before, long lines were forming at the stadium entrance, an orderly jostling for the best seats, despite temperatures dropping into the 30’s. They were well practiced as they had been doing this all the week prior for the Global Peace Prayer Festival. We spent the night downtown in closer proximity to the stadium. The stadium was over capacity of 20,000, with 30,000 more in the extended festival grounds you can glimpse in the photo, when we arrived at 7:30 a.m., but a very kind police officer had us wait for a bit at her side, then ushered us into the royal invitation only area where we comfortably sat in the shade for the duration of the ceremonies. A number of factors probably played a role. We were foreigners dressed in national dress, wearing HVO nametags, showing no impatience and, perhaps more importantly, having earned merit and good karma from our service in Bhutan.

Left to right, the 5th Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the Je Khenpo, religious leader of Bhutan, the 4th Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and the Crown Prince, Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck.

The four Queen Mothers of Bhutan and the current Queen, Jetsun Pema. The Queen Mothers are sisters from a prominent Bhutanese family, descendants of the founder, Zhabdrung Nagawang Namgyal, a family I understand to have been rivals of the first King, Ugyen Wangchuck. The Queens are equal in rank and each have their own residence in the hills surrounding Thimphu. Between them, they have ten children. The order of ascendance to the throne is by order of birth. Privately married in 1979, a public celebration of marriage was held in 1988, legitimizing the eventual succession to the throne of his son, the current Druk Gyalpo. Both polygamy and polyandry have historical precedent in Bhutan but are now uncommon.

𝟭𝟮 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗵 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴

1. Serve your country and people; to fail them is a great sin, to help them is a great merit.
2. The nation’s sovereignty is sacred. Guard it fiercely, even against the smallest cracks.
3. Serve the Je Khenpo, Zhung Dratshang, and our Buddhist institutions; they are Bhutan’s soul.
4. Protect our national identity. Bhutan’s uniqueness is precious; it must be loved and safeguarded by every citizen.
5. Honour our environment and traditions. Keep every stream clean, preserve every dialect and custom.
6. Our strength lies in unity. Though small, we can achieve anything if we remain united.
7. Never grow complacent. When things go well, remember your responsibilities and stay focused
8. A strong Bhutan needs strong people: well educated, skilled, and wise. Read and learn from others: invest time to grow.
9. Don’t spoil children. Teach discipline, gratitude, and appreciation: the best values to possess.
10. A nation’s reputation is sacred. Let Bhutan and Bhutanese be known as truthful, trustworthy, and smart: a partner the world respects.
11. Laws and institutions are the pillars of a just and harmonious nation.
12. The most sacred advice: what worked before may not work now. Keep learning, adapting, and reinventing. Agility is the key to Bhutan’s enduring strength.

11th, November, 2025(Royal Address to the Nation).

A summary of the 4th Druk Gyalpo’s contributions to Bhutan and the world are fare beyond the scope of this blog. They include the introduction of Gross National Happiness as a guiding principal of development, the modernization of Bhutan, and the introduction of democracy. For a concise history of the 4th Druk Gyalpo’s contributions to Bhutan:

https://factsanddetails.com/south-asia/Bhutan/History_Bhutan/entry-7892.html