Jigme Singye Wangchuck

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Jigme Singye Wangchuck
4th King of Bhutan
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Reign	21/24 July 1972 - present
Coronation	2 June 1974
Born	11 November 1955
	Dechenchholing Palace, Thimphu, Bhutan
Predecessor	Jigme Dorji Wangchuck
Heir-Apparent	Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck
Consort	Four wives
Father	Jigme Dorji Wangchuck

Jigme Singye Wangchuck is the fourth and present King of Bhutan. He was born November 11, 1955 and succeeded to the throne at the age of 17, in 1972, after the sudden death of his father, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. When he was formally crowned on June 2, 1974 he was the youngest monarch in the world and the coronation was noted for inviting foreign dignitaries, thus signalling the end of the long isolation of the country. He is also called "Druk Gyalpo", meaning "Dragon King". He was educated in Bhutan and the UK.

He has continued his father's policies of slow modernization while still trying to preserve Bhutanese culture. In 1988 he instituted the policy of Driglam Namzha (Etiquette and Manners) which required all citizens to wear traditional clothing while in public, and established the requirement of teaching Dzongkha (the national language) in schools. In 1998 he voluntarily reduced the scope of his absolute powers, and now formally rules with the advice of his government. In late 2003, he ordered Bhutan's first military campaign in well over a century, to roust Assamese separatists who were using Bhutanese territory to launch raids against targets in India (see History of Bhutan).

By all accounts he maintains a simple lifestyle— preferring to work in a small log cabin above the capital, Thimphu, rather than in the Dechencholing palace used by the Queen Mother. In the West he has become noted for his stated goal of seeking to maximize "Gross National Happiness" for his country rather than "Gross National Product" - a philosophy for public policy that has influenced the thinking of UK Conservative leader David Cameron (see Cameron's 22nd May 2006 speech to the Google Zeitgeist Europe conference).

The King is married to four Queens (all of whom are sisters) and has five sons and five daughters. His heir apparent is his eldest son, Crown Prince Dasho Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. Several of his children have been educated abroad.

On December 17, 2005 he announced his intention to abdicate in 2008, leaving the throne to his son[1]

King Jigme Singye Wangchuk was named as one of Time Magazine's 100 People Who Shape Our World in 2006. [2]. He appeared in the May 8, 2006 issue of Time Magazine.