The moment we hear the word ‘king’, an image of a tough monarch pops up in our heads; a leader who has been elevated to mythical proportions by his subject. Hence, amidst this stereotypical image, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck comes across as a breath of fresh air.
A king who doesn’t treat the people of Bhutan as ‘subjects’ but treats them as equals.
Known for his humanitarian efforts and down to earth personality, the fifth King of Bhutan was in news recently when he was pictured chopping onions and chillis for a community school.
And while the world swooned over this gesture of his, this wasn’t the first time he lived up to his name in a literal sense. Aptly named ‘People’s king’, His Majesty Jigme Khesar has won over people numerous times in the past with his thoughtful actions. Actions, that make him an excellent human being first, and a monarch later.
1. He decided to celebrate the birth of his first born by planting 108,000 trees across the country.
Birth of a royal child is en event in itself. However, when His Majesty Jigme Khesar was blessed with a baby boy on February 5, 2016, he decided to add some meaning to the celebrations.
Thus, he joined the citizens of Bhutan to plant 108,000 trees across the nation to celebrate the newest addition to the royal family.
2. Just like his father, he believes that monarchy needs to be curbed!
Being a king gives you so much power, that many royal members have difficulty giving it up. However, His Majesty Jigme Khesar has proved to be an exception.
Even though the Bhutanese people love monarchy, he’d travelled all across the country in 2008, urging people to vote.
Unlike Nepal, the King aims for a harmonious existence of monarchy and democracy.
3. He celebrated his birthday with sick children in the pediatric ward of a hospital.
Even if you’re not a king, you’d still want to celebrate your birthday with great pomp and show. However for the King of Bhutan, a birthday celebration meant praying for the prosperity of his country.
He later spent time in the pediatric ward of Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital, sharing cake, toys and happiness with children there.
4. Every citizen of the country is always welcome at his house.
No matter what strata of society they belong to, any and every citizen of the country is always welcome to drop by his house for a chat. He’s known to personally listen to the griefs and troubles of his people.
What’s more laudable is the fact that he’s personally met almost every citizen of the country!
Considering the fact that Bhutan’s population is close to 8 lakh people, this is no mean feat.
5. He was photographed preparing a meal for the community school all by himself!
While most of us feel lazy fixing a meal even for ourselves, the King of Bhutan had no qualms preparing a meal for an entire community school!