Bhutan had its very own royal wedding on Thursday, as the nation's king married an educated commoner 10 years his junior. (Photo courtesy: Facebook).
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck bestows the crown of the Druk Gyaltsuen (Queen of the Kingdom of Bhutan) upon the Royal Bride. (Photo courtesy: Facebook)
The king and queen, draped in traditional attire that included a raven's head and a silk-embroidered crown, also sipped on a chalice of ambrosia that symbolized eternal life. (Photo courtesy: Facebook).
The young queen studied subjects including English and economics at the prestigious Lawrence School Sanawar in India before pursuing her college degree at Regents College in London. (Photo courtesy: Facebook).
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 31, and his new bride, Queen Jetsun Pema, 21, were joined by thousands of royal enthusiasts, as the ceremony took place at a Himalayan monastic fortress. (Photo courtesy: Facebook)
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. (Photo courtesy: Facebook)
The dashing Wangchuck met Pema when he was 17. (Photo courtesy: Facebook).
Bhutan's much-publicised Royal Wedding will see the King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck tying the nuptial knot with his childhood sweetheart and India-educated commoner Jetsun Pema. (Photo courtesy: Facebook)
The Oxford-educated king is adored for pushing development and ushering in democratic reforms. (Photo courtesy: Facebook)
Jetsun Pema offers prayers at the Druk Wangyal Lhakhang, a temple in Dochula, Bhutan, on her way to Wangduephodrang, where she will spend the night on the eve of the royal wedding. (Photo courtesy: Facebook).
Jetsun Pema, a student 10 years junior to the king. (Photo courtesy: Facebook).
Royal Bride Jetsun Pema being welcomed in traditional Chipdrel in Wangduephodrang where she will spend the night on the eve of the Royal Wedding. (Photo courtesy Facebook)
His Majesty is escorted in traditional ceremony into the Drametse Lhakhang. (Photo courtesy: Facebook).
During the wedding, the king’s bride will present him a chalice filled with the ambrosia of eternal life that he will drink. (Photo courtesy: Facebook).
Yet there will be no foreign princes, no visiting heads of state, no global celebrities, just the royal family, thousands of nearby villagers and the rest of the country's 700,000 people watching live on TV. (Photo courtesy: Facebook). ).
