Epoch Times Staff
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/bhutan-king-wangchuck-marries-62789.html
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His majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (4th R), 31 walks with Queen Ashi Jetsun Pema, 21, and greets people after their marriage ceremony on October 13, 2011 in Punakha, Bhutan. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images) |
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| Beautiful Queen Ashi Jetsun Pema |
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| Beautiful Queen Ashi Jetsun Pema |
Wangchuk, 31, became king in 2008 at the start of democracy in the country and is the fifth ruler of the country since it was reunited in 1907.
In the ceremony, Wangchuk placed a crown on his queen's head, Jetsun Pema, who is the daughter of an airline pilot, after a series of rituals in a 17th century monastery, AFP reported.
The king has enjoyed considerable popularity among the 700,000 citizens of Bhutan, which is nestled in the Himalayas between India and China.
"I am happy. I have been waiting for quite some time. It doesn't matter when you get married as long as it is the right person," Wangchuk told the news agency.
Wangchuck provides some checks and balances to the country’s fledgling democracy and his marriage means that the rule of the monarchy will likely continue.
"The royal wedding has ensured the continuity of the monarchy," Tshering Tobgay, Bhutan's opposition leader, told Reuters. "And [the] monarchy has helped strengthen our democracy."
Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley told AFP that until the King marries, “people are always concerned.”
Bhutan was never colonized and has remained secluded from the rest of the world. Television was not brought to the country until 1999.
