Princess Sonam Dechen Wangchuck (, , born 5 August 1981) is a princess of

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

. She is the daughter of the Fourth King of Bhutan

Jigme Singye Wangchuck Jigme Singye Wangchuck (, ; born 11 November 1955) is the fourth Druk Gyalpo ( Dragon King) of Bhutan, reigning from 1972 to 2006. He is the father of the present King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck. He is the only son of five ch ...

and Queen Mother Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck. She is half-sister of the fifth King,

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (born 21 February 1980) is the fifth Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) of Bhutan. His reign began in 2006 after his father Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicated the throne. A public coronation ceremony was held on 6 November ...

Biography

She was educated at Lungtenzampa Middle Secondary School and Yangchenphug Higher Secondary School,

Choate Rosemary Hall Choate Rosemary Hall ( ) is a Independent school, private, Mixed-sex education, co-educational, College-preparatory school, college-preparatory boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1890, it took its present na ...

Wallingford, Connecticut Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, centrally located between New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford, and Boston and New York City. The town is part ...

, US. She has a degree in international relations from

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

(1999) and a Masters in law from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

(2007). She also clerked for the Royal High Court of Bhutan, later working at the Judiciary of the

Kingdom of Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

as President of the Bhutan National Legal Institute (BNLI). Sonam is a Bhutanese name denoting merit, longevity and good fortune.

Marriage and children

She married a distant relative, Phub W. Dorji (born on 1 January 1980) at the

Motithang Motithang is a north-western suburb of Thimphu, Bhutan. The Chubachu River divides the district from Kawajangsa further north and Chubachu district lies to the east. Meaning "the meadow of pearls", the area only developed as a residential area ...

Palace on 5 April 2009. He is a son of Zepon Wangchuck, a former monk, Chief Architect and project manager, from Takchu Gompa, Haa, by his wife, Ugyen Dolma, from Gaselo. Phub W. Dorji has degrees from US universities, later working in the Finance Ministry. They have two sons: * Jigje Singye Wangchuck (born on 3 December 2009). * Vairochana Rinpoche Ngawang Jigme Jigten Wangchuck
Vairochana

Rinpoche Rinpoche, also spelled Rimpoche (), is an honorific term used in the Tibetan language. It literally means "precious one", and may refer to a person, place, or thing—like the words "gem" or "jewel" (Sanskrit: '' Ratna''). The word consists of '' ...

(born on 23 June 2013). Recognized by the 70th

Je Khenpo The Je Khenpo (; "The Chief Abbot of the Central Monastic Body of Bhutan"), formerly called the ''Dharma Raja'' by orientalists, is the title given to the senior religious hierarch of Bhutan. His primary duty is to lead the Dratshang Lhentsh ...

, Jigme Choedra, as the reincarnation of the Great

Lotsawa Lotsawa () is a Tibetan title used to refer to the Nyingma's ''Ancient Translation School'' of 108 Tibetan translators, which include Vairotsana, Rinchen Zangpo, Marpa Lotsawa, Tropu Lotsawa Jampa Pel and many others. They worked alongside In ...

(The Translator)

Vairotsana Vairotsana () was a lotsawa or "translator" living during the reign of King Trisong Detsen, who ruled 755-97 CE. Vairotsana, one of the 25 main disciples of Padmasambhava, was recognized by the latter as a reincarnation of an Indian pandita. ...

Patronages

* Board Member of the Tarayana Foundation (TF). * Honourable President of the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law (JSW Law) since 2010.

Official visits

* 24 October 2017 – Japan. * 3 October 2022 – Japan.

Foreign honours

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

: ** Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Crown of Tonga

References

External links

The world's most eligible princesses
Princess Sonam of Bhutan (photo)

among them : Princess Sonam of Bhutan (photo)
An interview
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Wangchuck, Sonam Dechan Bhutanese monarchy Harvard Law School alumni Stanford University alumni Living people 1981 births McCourt School of Public Policy alumni George Washington University School of Business alumni Wangchuck dynasty Choate Rosemary Hall alumni Daughters of kings