Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan shares adorable photographs of baby daughter to mark religious holiday

Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan has shared two new photos of her daughter on her first birthday in honor of a national holiday.

The Queen of Bhutan, who is also called the Kate Middleton of the Himalayas, went to Instagram to share the sweet pictures of Sonam Yangden Wangchuck.

The 34-year-old royal shared the never-before-seen footage in honor of Tshechu, a religious festival in Bhutan.

In the post, the one-year-old wore a traditional costume in a dark red hue with a colorful pattern.

The young queen looked just as adorable in the second photo, where she looked sweetly to her side.

Jestun Pema wrote: ‘Happy Tsechu holidays to everyone in Thimphu! To celebrate, we are happy to share these photos of Her Royal Highness Gyalsem Sonam Yangden Wangchuck taken on her first birthday on 9 September 2024.’

The royal, who is married to Bhutan’s 44-year-old King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, added: “May your celebrations be filled with joy and togetherness!”

Sonam, who was born last year, is a Bhutanese name meaning ‘merit, long life and happiness’.

This came after Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan published two photos in March to celebrate her son Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck’s fourth birthday.

In the first photo, the second child of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan shows off a bright smile as he plays outside.

Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, who is second in line to the throne after his elder brother, Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel, looked stylish in traditional attire.

The second photo shows a close-up of the four-year-old boy holding up flags with a dragon image. This photo was probably taken during the Chinese New Year, which marks the start of the year of the dragon.

In the photo, he looked calmly into the camera, dressed in traditional Bhutanese clothing.

The Queen shared the photos with the caption: “Happy birthday, His Royal Highness Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck, who turns 4 today.”

Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck was born on March 19, 2020 at the Lingkana Palace in Thimphu.

This came after the Bhutanese royal family held a lavish naming ceremony in December to announce the name of their third child.

Three months after the birth of their daughter, Queen Jetsun Pema and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck introduced Her Royal Highness the Gyalsem, named Sonam Yangden Wangchuck.

The royal family shared the happy news and photos of the glamorous festivities on the Queen’s official Instagram account.

The Queen, who already has two sons, Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck and Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, shone in a traditional purple dress with gold patterns.

Meanwhile, Sonam was wrapped in a pink silk blanket and a matching hat, which was decorated with pink embellishments that mimicked the blanket.

Sonam’s older brothers, Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck and Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, looked equally adorable as they celebrated their little sister and posed for photos.

The message read: ‘Her Royal Highness the Gyalsem has been appointed Sonam Yangden Wangchuck.

‘Sonam is a Bhutanese name that stands for merit, longevity and happiness. The name Yangden, which means precious jewel, stands for prosperity and well-being.

The naming ceremony took place in Tashichhodzong on the anniversary of His Majesty’s accession to the throne in 2006.

‘The ceremony was presided over by His Holiness the Je Khenpo. His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Their Majesties the Queen Mothers and Members of the Royal Family were present at the ceremony.

‘Representatives of the Dratshang offered to Ku Sung Thugten Mendrel. The Dzongdas, Thrizins and Lam Netens of twenty dzongkhags, representing the people of Bhutan, performed buelwa sacrifices.

‘Her Royal Highness, the third child of Their Majesties the King and Gyaltsuen, was born on 9 September this year.’

Last year, the Queen attended the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein of Jordan, along with the rest of the royal family. In early May, she and her husband attended the coronation of King Charles in London.

King Jigme, the hugely popular fifth Druk Gyalpo, studied in the UK and the US and ascended to the throne in 2006 at the age of 26, after his own father abdicated.

Unlike his son, who wants a monogamous marriage, the former king, who introduced democracy in Bhutan during his reign, has four wives, all sisters, whom he married on the same day.

But despite his own upbringing, the current monarch has made it clear he wants just one wife. He married her on October 13, 2011, when she was still a student of international relations at Regent’s College, London.

The relationship made headlines at the time, as the young king showed more open affection for his wife than the public was used to, leading to the couple being dubbed ‘the William and Kate of the Himalayas’.

The Bhutanese king and queen married in 2011, the same year that Prince William and Kate wed, and have since welcomed three children.

However, the king’s public displays of affection, such as kissing his wife on the cheek and holding her hand, were well received by the youngsters, with many even choosing to follow the royals’ example.

The couple have an exceptionally close family: the King’s brother and sister are married to the Queen’s brother and sister.

The Queen’s elder sister, Yeatso Lhamo, is married to the King’s brother, Prince Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.