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The King’s Speech

Updated: Jan 10, 2020

On December 17th, the 112th National Day of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the Fifth King of Bhutan, shared his sweeping, stirring roadmap for Bhutan’s 21st century in his royal address to the kingdom.





Bhutanese kings have long had the ability to inspire the nation with their words and their actions, their wisdom widely regarded in Bhutan as exemplary and farsighted. Through successive periods in Bhutanese history to the present day, the kings have excelled at their primary responsibility of providing a north star for the nation to follow. They remain above the fray and course-correct, as needed, the ship of the Bhutanese nation from the dangerous shoals of corruption and moral entropy; the coarsening of the national debate; self-interest over national good; the exploitation of natural resources over environmental considerations; social fragmentation, aggression and exclusion over peace, harmony and inclusivity. That is the reason they are justly loved and revered in Bhutan. It is why they are the recipients of the highest national regard and remain the true rulers of the hearts and minds of the people.



Standing in front of the golden seal of Bhutan on Tuesday, with its two emblazoned dragons embracing the eight-spoke wheel that represents the noble eight-fold path taught by the Buddha—Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Contemplation—the handsome young king spoke at the capital's outdoor national stadium, Changlimethang, to a packed audience of attendees, many of whom had camped out the previous night, braving the winter cold, to hear their king speak.


In the stirring, wide-ranging, intimate and entirely extemporaneous royal address to the nation, His Majesty the King shared his vision for how the Bhutanese nation can stay the course and succeed amid the challenges of the 21st century, how the kingdom's youth can be empowered and groomed to fulfill their highest expectations. He also shared the news of a national service initiative beginning 2022, and the surprise happy announcement of a second royal baby on the way.



“The world is going through some of the most rapid changes we have ever seen,” His Majesty said. “We cannot afford to be timid, avoid what we don’t yet understand and hope for the best. Such an attitude will cost us our national objective of self reliance.”


While we have made great progress in our national life, the road in front of us can still be steep, heavy with implications, and hold unseen dangers if we do not prepare adequately for the changes currently underway, according to the king. Nations that understand the tremendous challenges [and opportunities] inherent in the future and promptly respond to them will reap the benefits while those that fail to take advantage of the tremendous potential, or are unable to respond nimbly, will likely find themselves at risk.