Once upon a time, in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan—a small landlocked country tucked between Tibet and India—there lived a beautiful 7-year-old girl named Jetsun Pema.
Jetsun Pema, daughter of a commercial airline pilot with royal connections, met 17-year-old Crown Prince of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck during a picnic.
Charmed by Prince Jigme Khesar’s charisma, little Jetsun Pema approached him and gave him a hug. She then innocently pulled his hand and said: “I would like to go with you. I would like to marry you.”
Prince Jigme Khesar asked why.
Little Jetsun Pema simply replied, “I like you.”
Prince Jigme Khesar, touched by little Jetsun Pema’s pureness, took her words to heart.
He told her, “When you grow up, if I am single and not married and if you are single and not married, I would like you to be my wife, provided we still feel the same.”
Not knowing the man was the future king, little Jetsun Pema nodded her head shyly and ran away, hoping they would meet again when she had grown up.
Years later, Jetsun Pema grew up to be a stunning and intelligent lady, while the handsome 180-centimeter (approx. 6-foot) tall Prince Jigme Khesar—a heartthrob to many women—ascended the throne when he was 28 years old.
King Jigme Khesar and Jetsun Pema were the perfect match. They have bonded with their shared love of art.
And they have both studied in England. King Jigme Khesar earned a Foreign Service Programme and International Relations degree at the University of Oxford, whilst Jetsun Pema studied International Relations with minors in Psychology and Art History at Regent’s College, London.
True to his promise, on Oct. 13, 2011, the 31-year-old King Jigme Khesar married 21-year-old commoner Jetsun Pema at a 17th-century fortress in a traditional Buddhist ceremony, making her the world’s youngest queen.
King Jigme Khesar, hailed as a “People’s King,” told reporters, ”I have been waiting for quite some time to get married. But it doesn’t matter when you get married as long as it is to the right person. I am certain I am married to the right person.”
“As my queen, I have found such a person and her name is Jetsun Pema. While she is young, she is warm and kind in heart and character. These qualities together with the wisdom that will come with age and experience will make her a great servant to the nation.”
After the marriage, the charming royal couple continue to serve their subjects with earnest, and in February 2016, they had a son, Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck.
Like a classic fairy tale, King Jigme Khesar and Queen Jetsun Pema are living happily ever after.
The love story of King Jigme Khesar and Queen Jetsun Pema is certainly a captivating one.
It’s no surprise their love story is capturing the hearts of many people across the globe.
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