Tshering Yangdon (, born 21 June 1959) is the third wife of the former
Bhutanese king,
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 ...
. She is the current Queen Mother (Gyalyum Kude) 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 she is the mother of the current Bhutanese 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 ...
. She is also the mother of King Jigme Khesar's two younger full siblings, Princess ''Ashi''
Dechen Yangzom (b. 1981) and Prince ''Gyaltshab''
Jigme Dorji
Dasho Jigme Palden Dorji (, 14 December 1919 – 6 April 1964) was a Bhutanese politician and member of the Dorji family. By marriage, he was also a member of the House of Wangchuck.
The brother-in-law of Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, Dorji was cl ...
(b. 1986).
Biography
Her father, ''Yab Dasho'' Ugyen Dorji (1925–2019), was the Founder and Proprietor of
Ugyen Academy (03/04/2002). Her mother is ''Yum'' Thuiji Zam (b. 1932).
She was educated at
St. Joseph's Convent,
Kalimpong
Kalimpong is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The region comes under Gorkhaland Territo ...
, and
St. Helen's School,
Kurseong
Kurseong (, ) is a town and a municipality in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Kurseong subdivision.
Located at an altitude of , Kurseong is from Darjeeling and has a pleasant climate throu ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
.
The name Tshering means "long life".
The name Yangdon (or Yangden) means "precious jewel", denotes prosperity and well-being.
Having a deep fondness for nature and the environment, Her Majesty is an avid gardener. Her Majesty is also very good in art and enjoys painting and sketching.
Humanitarian causes
The Queen founded Bhutan Nun's Foundation (BNF) in March 2009. The foundation's focus is to make nunneries a way to help and empower girls and women through education and economic self-sufficiency.
She was responsible for the building of the
Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chörten
In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and ''śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and medi ...
in
Punakha
Punakha () is the administrative centre of Punakha dzongkhag, one of the 20 districts of Bhutan. Punakha was the capital of Bhutan and the seat of government until 1955, when the capital was moved to Thimphu. It is about 72 km away from Thim ...
Valley in 2004.
Children
She had, with the former king, the following children:
Patronages
* Royal Patron of the Royal Society for the Protection and Care of Animals.
* Royal Patron of the Royal Bhutan Flower Exhibition.
Honours
* Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award
he International Women's Meditation Center Foundation(2007).
IWMCF
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References
Notes
Bhutanese royal consorts
Living people
1959 births
Bhutanese queen mothers
Wangchuck dynasty
{{Asia-royal-stub