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Bhutan's new crown prince named

April 16, 2016

Bhutan's new crown prince has been officially named at a solemn religious ceremony. Jigme Namgyal Wangchuck is only 10 weeks old.

https://p.dw.com/p/1IWxE
Bhutan Kronprinz
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/ Royal Office For Media/ Kingdom of Bhutan

The 10-week old son of King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema was named Jigme Namgyal Wangchuck at Saturday's ceremony at a 17th century palace housing the relics of a famous Buddhist master.

The naming ceremony was held to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the day that a revered Tibetan Buddhist master arrived in Bhutan, Kinley Dorji, the government's information secretary, said.

Bhutan's king and queen prayed at a Buddhist monastery in the capital, Thimphu, before driving to Punakha, where the ceremony took place.

The Oxford-educated Wangchuck married commoner Jetsun Pema in a Buddhist ceremony in 2011.

The baby boy was born on Friday at the Lingkana Palace in the capital Thimpu, the royal media office said.

From left to right, Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, Bhutan's Queen, Jetsun Pema, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Britain's Prince William pose for a photograph in Thimphu, Bhutan
From left to right, Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, Bhutan's Queen, Jetsun Pema, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Britain's Prince William pose for a photograph in Thimphu, BhutanImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo

Early royal visitors to the couple were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who were on an official visit to Bhutan.

King Jigme, 35, is widely revered in the remote kingdom of some 750,000 people. In March 2008, Bhutan became a constitutional monarchy and the king relinquished his absolute powers.

jbh/rc (AP, AFP)