Bhutan's royal wedding 15 years ago: astrologers set the 8:20 start, and the bride asked the king to give up polygamy

On October 13, 2011, the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, married Jetsun Pema. Fifteen years on, the wedding in the small Buddhist kingdom in the eastern Himalayas, home to around 700,000 people, remains one of the most unusual royal weddings of our time: not a single representative of a foreign royal house attended, and the schedule was set not by protocol but by astrologers.

The story began much earlier. Jetsun Pema was 7 when she met the future king, who is 10 years older than her. He promised her parents they would marry if both were still single when she came of age. She was 21 at the wedding and became the world's youngest queen consort.

The bride comes from the aristocracy. Her father, Dhondup Gyaltshen, was a pilot and the grandson of a district governor, and her mother, Sonam Choki, comes from one of the country's wealthiest families.

A wedding at 8:20

The Buddhist ceremony was held in a 17th-century monastery in Punakha, the former capital, and broadcast on state television BBS. Around 1,500 official guests attended - political leaders, representatives of the people and members of the royal family. Preparations began around 4 am, the king arrived at the temple at 8, and the bride arrived with a procession of about a hundred people led by a white horse. The 8:20 start was set by the court astrologers, in line with Buddhist ritual. The ceremony lasted two hours.

The couple lit golden lamps, received sacred silk scarves from the former king and drank from a cup of ambrosia, a symbol of eternal life. At the end, the king crowned his bride. According to his press office, he wanted a simple celebration, close to the people. Then came greetings with citizens in Thimphu and two more days of celebrations with performances and thousands of people.

Silk, embroidery and a raven

The king wore antique clothing that had belonged to the second king, with a crown topped by a raven's head. The queen wore a made-to-measure silk dress, hand-embroidered in the traditional kira style. The couple chose traditional dress for each of the three days.

The king has described his wife as a remarkable and intelligent person with whom he shares a love of art, and said it is worth waiting a long time for marriage if the partner is the right one. And the queen asked him to give up polygamy, a tradition in the royal house - and he agreed. His father, the fourth king, had four wives, all sisters. The son chose one. Sometimes the biggest reform in a palace is agreed before the wedding.