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     Bhutan's Royal wedding
    The 31 years old King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan married the 21-year-old Jetsun Pema daughter of an airline pilot on October 13, 2011. The picturesque kingdom of Bhutan erupted in joy to welcome its new Queen as its  King  married his childhood sweetheart and commoner Jetsun Pema in a traditional Buddhist ceremony at an imposing monastic fortress . 
       
     
     King Wangchuck tied the nuptial knot with Pema
   The king Wangchuck tied the nuptial knot with India-educated Pema amidst chants of hymns and prayers by monks at the proceedings led by the Chief Abot (head of the monks) of Bhutan Je Khenpo. The ceremony at the stunning fortress in this historical city started early at 4.00 am as thousands of people gathered outside to witness history unfold in front of their eyes and to get a glimpse of the Royal Couple.
   
     
     Bhutan King Jugme Wangchuck and  queen Jetsun Pema 
  Bhutan King Jugme Wangchuck and queen Jetsun Pema Jetsun Pema graduated from Lawrence School in Himachal Pradesh in 2008. An alumnus of prestigious Lawrence School, Sanawar in Himachal Pradesh, 21 years old Pema married to 31-year-old Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on October 13, 2011.  Cine star Sanjay Dutt and J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah among its alumni, the Lawrence School at Sanawar. Jetsun attended the school between 2006-08 and passed out after clearing Class XII. 
  "She was a normal student and never boasted about her Royal connections and we only knew that she was from Bhutan," said a teacher of the school. "It is a matter of pride for the school but also a surprise for all of us that she would tie the knot with the Bhutan King," he said. Well-versed in Hindi and English, five feet ten inches tall Jetsun was good in sports and excelled in basketball, recalls her English teacher. "She was very good in studies and was always cheerful and cooperative.    

   Jetsun Pema, who was born in Thimphu on June 4, 1990, stands pretty at 5' 10". She had joined the Lawrence School in 2006 and cleared her plus two examination in 2008. Before joining Sanawar, she studied at the St.Joseph's Convent in Kalimpong and Changangkha Lower Secondary School and Lungtenzampa Middle Secondary School in Thimphu, Bhutan. She graduated from Regents College, London.
   The queen of Bhutan comes from the Bumthang Pangtey family and her father, Dhondup Gyaltshen, is the grandson of Trashigang Dzongpon Dopola. Her mother, Sonam Chuki, comes from the family of Bumthang Pangtey. Jetsun Pema has two brothers and two sisters. 
  King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who completed his studies at Oxford and was crowned the monarch in 2008.  King Jigme Khesar is the fifth king of the 100 year old Wangchuk dynasty   

   
      Bhutan palace
   Outside the stunning 17th century fortress, located between two rivers - Fochu (Father River) and Mochu (Mother River), thousands of Bhutanese, including children and women, thronged the ground to catch a glimpse of their King and the newly crowned Queen.  
  As celebrations erupted, the two newly weds joined thousands of Bhutanese at the huge ground near the palace, dancing and singing with their subjects. The King mingled freely with the assembled people, shook hands with them and even cradled babies. The people, including nomads and villagers who live in remotest parts of the country, had started assembling at the ground as early as 5 AM (local time) braving intense cold conditions, even as majority of the 7 lakh population were glued to their television sets to watch the wedding ceremony.