Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (born February 21, 1980) is the King of Bhutan. He is the son of the previous King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and his third wife Queen Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck (born December 29, 1957). He is the oldest son of the king. He has a younger full sister and brother and also four half-sisters and three half-brothers. He is unmarried.

After completing his basic education in Bhutan, Prince Jigme studied abroad in the Cushing Academy and the Wheaton College in Massachusetts before graduating from Magdalen College, Oxford University, where he completed the Foreign Service Programme and the M Phil programme in Politics. ^[1]

He has travelled abroad, officially representing Bhutan on several occasions and has an active role in numerous cultural, educational and economic organizations.

In December 2005, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck announced his intention to abdicate in his son's favor in 2008, and that he would begin handing over responsibility to him immediately.^[2] On 15 December 2006 he announced his immediate abdication, handing the kingship to Jigme Khesar Wangchuk.

[edit] Popularity in Thailand

Prince Namgyal, who is more popularly known in Thailand by the name of Prince Jigme (จิกมี,) attended Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60th Anniversary Celebrations on June 12-13, 2006 in Bangkok along with royals from 25 countries. Prince Namgyal, 26-years-old and therefore the youngest of the visiting royals, caused a sensation, giving rise to a legion of female fans in Thailand. The Thai press dubbed him "Prince Charming" and ran daily stories and photos about him and tourism in Bhutan for several weeks after he had departed Thailand.^[3]

Aside from attending the celebrations for the Thai monarch, Prince Namgyal sailed and dove around Phuket. ^[4]

A controversial poll run by the ABAC polling center at Assumption University, Thailand listed Prince Namgyal as the most popular of the visiting royals. However, the poll is thought by some to be making light of a solemn occasion involving the Thai monarch, and it might have been harmful to Thai foreign relations. Hours after the poll was released, the ABAC center's director, Nophadol Kanika, retracted its results.^[5]

Internet visitors of the Thai Internet forum Pantip.com flooded the website with postings about Prince Namgyal. Among the posts is a controversial photo of the prince with an unknown woman. Thai-language daily newspapers later featured the photo.^[6] Thailand's Department of Special Investigation launched a probe into the source of the image and threatened to prosecute anyone who distributed it in the future.^[7]