Phuntsho Choden
This name uses Bhutanese naming customs. Bhutanese people have two given names, neither of which is a surname or family name unless they are descended from royal or noble lineages.
| Phuntsho Choden | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Phuntsho Choden in 1926 | |||||
| Queen Mother of Bhutan | |||||
| Spouse | Jigme Wangchuck | ||||
| Issue | Jigme Dorji Wangchuck | ||||
| |||||
| Father | Chumed Zhalgno Dasho Jamyang | ||||
| Mother | Ashi Decho | ||||
| Born |
1911 Wangdue Choling Palace | ||||
| Died |
(aged 92) Dechencholing Palace | ||||
| Religion | Buddhism | ||||
Ashi Phuntsho Choden was the queen consort of Bhutan.[1]
Early life
From an early age, Ashi Phuntsho Choden received a traditional education, including lessons on Buddhism. She received teachings, empowerment, and reading transmissions in the Drukpa Kargyu, Karma Kargyu, Dujom, Peling, and Nyingthig traditions from renowned Buddhist lamas.
Marriage and Family
She married Bhutan’s second king, Jigme Wangchuck, in 1925 when she was 15 years old. They were second cousins. Ashi Phuntsho Choden was the half-sister of the grandfather of the current Queen of Bhutan Jetsun Pema, and she was the great grandmother of the fifth king of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. She made sure that her only child Jigme Dorji Wangchuck learned both English and Hindi in early childhood to prepare him for Bhutan’s escalating involvement in foreign diplomacy
Royal duties
She was very religious. Phunstho Choden played an important role in maintaining and strengthening Bhutan’s rich Buddhist heritage. She built a legacy of religious institutions, established spiritual learning centres, and preserved the rich imagery that formed a core of Bhutan’s religious history.
She created the monument National Memorial Chhorten in Thimphu which she built in memory of her son, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, for the well being of the nation and the people.
Death
Her body was ceremoniously laid out for 49 days and was taken to places she had been to when she was living.
Titles and styles
- 1926-1952 Her Majesty The Queen
- 1952-21 July 1972 Her Majesty The Queen Mother
- 21 July 1972-August 24, 2003 Her Majesty The Queen Grandmother
References
- ↑ "Central Tibetan Administration Mourns the Demise of Bhutanese Gayum Phuntsho Choden". Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ↑ Women in Bhutan retain their names upon marriage.