By WIL LONGBOTTOM

'Dragon King': Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck married Jetsun Pema in a colourful ceremony in Bhutan's ancient capital of Punakha

Bhutan's 'Dragon King' has married a student in a vibrant Buddhist ceremony held in a 17th-century Himalayan monastic fortress.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck wore a crown adorned with a raven's head and drank from a chalice of ambrosia during the sumptuous ceremony in the ancient capital of Punakha.

The Oxford-educated 31-year-old is revered as the insular country slowly embraces democracy and the marriage was televised live to the population of 700,000.


Ceremony: The elaborate ceremony featured baby elephants and thousands of monks chanting and hitting drums


'Gross National Happiness': The ceremony was televised to the 700,000 people living in the tiny Asian nation

Bhutan, whose government follows 'Gross National Happiness' for its people instead of economic growth, is set for three days of public holiday as citizens celebrate the wedding.

Karma Tshiteem, head of the Gross National Happiness Commission, told the Daily Telegraph: 'You can be sure that our happiness is increasing.'


Fairytale wedding: The ceremony took place in a 17th century Himalayan monastic fortress

Thousands of people dressed in traditional coloured robes stood outside the fortified monastery. Monks chanted and hit drums as white incense drifted in the air.

King Wangchuck's father abdicated in 2006 to introduce parliamentary elections.
The monarchy is seen as helping stabilise a fragile democracy wedged between India and China in a conflict-ridden region.


Married: The 31-year-old said he shared a love of art with his bride, 21


Procession: Monks bang drums as they approach the fort where the marriage took place

He said after the ceremony: 'I am happy. I have been waiting quite some time.
'She is a wonderful human being, intelligent. Her and I shared one big thing in common - love and passion for art.'

Jetsun Pema, 21, the daughter of an airline pilot, wore a crown embroidered with silk and arrived in a procession of singers, relatives and Buddhist monks across an ancient footbridge.


Ceremony: Jetsun Pema, a student, walks towards the Dzong fortress with family and monks behind her

Baby elephants guarded one of the fortress's entrances.

The king and his father entered a sacred chamber holding the embalmed body of the 17th-century founder of Bhutan, where they received holy Buddhist scarves and a chalice of blessed curd.


Popular: The royal couple are given scarves as they walk among locals after their marriage

Posters of the couple adorn almost every building, lamppost and roundabout in the capital, Thimphu, three hours drive away.

The country's airline has put on extra flights to deal with the demand of visitors from abroad.


Making new friends: The king holds a young child as he greets locals with Queen Jetsun in Punakha

Bhutan, known as the 'Land of the Thunder Dragon', has been happy to promote a Shangri-la image with its snow-capped peaks and largely untouched forests.

Tourism was only allowed in the 1970s, and when the first car arrived in the 1950s many people thought it was a fire-eating dragon.

A successful monarchy may be key to bringing stability to a kingdom in the centre of a region wracked by civil war and conflict.


Untouched country: Bhutan only started allowing tourists in the 1970s and has a population of just 700,000

Neighbouring Nepal's monarch was recently abolished, while India absorbed the Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim and China did the same with Tibet.

King Wangchuck said: 'I will follow in my father's footstep. My father set the bar very high.

'He was a wonderful leader. We will try to live up to expectations.'


The new king, a keen basketball player and archer, has dropped the family's reclusive and elitist image.

He lives in a cottage in Thimphu and often invites his subjects for tea.

He has spent months touring Bhutan's remote villages - often walking among villagers holding his bride-to-be by the hand.


Bhutan's royal wedding






source: dailymail

After the royal wedding of William and Kate, it is now the turn of the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan to celebrate the wedding of their fifth "Dragon King."

The 31-year-old monarch, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, is all set to marry his lady-love, Jetsun Pema, in a three-day celebration starting Thursday.

Khesar was officially crowned the king of Bhutan on Nov. 1, 2008. However, it was only on May 20, 2011 that he announced his engagement to 21-year-old Pema during a parliament session.

The couple will be married in one of the most sacred monastery fortresses in the country's old capital of Punakha Thursday morning. Unlike Khesar's father, who had four wives, the current king announced that he will have only one wife.


Bhutan’s “Dragon King,” its charming, American- and British-educated and immensely popular monarch, married his longtime girlfriend Thursday, kicking off three days of celebration in this tiny Himalayan country.


Bhutan’s “Dragon King,” its charming, American- and British-educated and immensely popular monarch, married his longtime girlfriend Thursday, kicking off three days of celebration in this tiny Himalayan country.



Bhutanese children perform during a full dress rehearsal, for the royal wedding of King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his fiancee Jetsun Pema, in Thimphu on October 11, 2011. (Getty)



Bhutanese artists wait their turn to perform a traditional dance during a full dress rehearsal, for the royal wedding of King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his fiancee Jetsun Pema, in Thimphu on October 11, 2011. (Getty)


Bhutanese greet Bhutan's Prime Minister Jigme Y. Thinley (R) during a full dress rehearsal, for the royal wedding of King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his fiancee Jetsun Pema, in Thimphu on October 11, 2011. Bhutan's king, 'prince charming of the Himalayas,' is set to marry on October 15 at what promises to be an emotional moment for the 700,000 adoring subjects of his isolated nation. The main wedding ceremony takes place in a stunning 17th-century fortress surrounded by mountains and built at the confluence of two fast-running rivers in the ancient capital Punakha. (Getty)


A Bhutanese worker hangs lights on the portrait of the future King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and Queen of Bhutan Ashi Jetsun Pema Wangchuck as Bhutan prepares for the royal wedding October 11, 2011, in Thimphu, Bhutan. (Getty)


Souvenir badges of future King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and Queen of Bhutan Ashi Jetsun Pema Wangchuck on sale at a crafts fair as Bhutan prepares for the royal wedding on October 12, 2011, in Thimphu, Bhutan. His majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 31, will wed Jetsun Pema, 21, on October 13 in the historical Punakha Dzong, the same venue that hosted the King's historical coronation ceremony in 2008. The Oxford-educated king is popular in the country and the ceremony will be followed by celebrations in the capital and nationwide. (Getty)



In this May 7, 2011, photo provided by Bhutan's Royal Office for Media, 20-year-old Jetsun Pema, fiancee of Bhutan's 31-year-old monarch, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, poses for photographs in Thimphu, Bhutan. (AP)


In this May 7, 2011, photo provided by Bhutan's Royal Office for Media, Bhutan's 31-year-old Oxford-educated monarch, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, left, poses with his fiance, 20-year-old Jetsun Pema, a student at London's Regent College, in Thimphu, Bhutan. "As king, it is now time to marry," Wangchuck said Friday, May 20, 2011 at the end of an address to Bhutan's parliament in the capital, Thimphu, that was also attended by members of the royal family and elected representatives. (AP)



THIMPHU, Bhutan — The royal wedding of the king of the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan to his commoner bride has begun with a procession of red-robed monks, the chants of welcome, the clanging of drums and the drone of long trumpets.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, 31, arrived at 8:20 a.m. Thursday at Bhutan's most sacred monastery fortress in the old capital of Punakha wearing the bright yellow sash of royalty. His bride, 21-year-old Jetsun Pema, followed a few minutes later, crossing a wooden footbridge over a wide, blue river beside the fort.

Once inside, the couple took part in a purification ceremony led by the nation's chief Buddhist cleric before moving to the temple for the main portion of the ceremony.









source: Huffingtonpost, Washingtonpost

By SADIE WHITELOCKS



Prince William and Princess Catherine Wedding Dolls were unveiled in Hamley's, the famous toy shop, today



Today Hamleys has unveiled the Prince William and Princess Catherine Wedding Dolls.



But despite nearly four months in production the two replica toys fail to hit the lookalike mark, looking more like puppets from the Sixties hit TV show Thunderbirds with over-sized heads, fixed grins and googly eyes.





Princess Catherine comes clothed in a white gown - a miniature version of the Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen royal wedding dress - complete with a Dower and Hall Tiara and posy of flowers





Priced at £100 for the pair these figurines have been launched by British toy company Arklu targeting 14-year-olds.



With abnormally large heads, jutting jawlines and bronzed complexions the two characters would be hard to distinguish if it wasn't for the all too familiar wedding outfits.



From the make-up to the underwear each item has been painstakingly put together by an array of British designers to replicate the originals worn at Westminster Abbey for the April 29 Royal Wedding.







Makers say the wedding dolls 'pay homage to the stunning best-of-British outfits that so impressed the world'





Princess Catherine comes clothed in a white gown - a miniature version of the Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen royal wedding dress - complete with a Dower and Hall Tiara and posy of seasonal flowers.



While Prince William is dressed in his specially commissioned scarlet Irish Guards colonel's uniform and a replica Forage Cap, evocative of those created by Royal Warrant Holder, Patey Hats.





William is dressed in his Irish Guards' uniform, with his Forage Cap clutched informally beneath his right arm





However, toy makers Arklu - which is based in Chelsea, London - defends its new product range reassuring consumers that the two toys are the real deal.



It claims: 'The instantly recognisable and, some might say, delightfully kitsch wedding dolls pay homage to the stunning best-of-British outfits that so impressed the world when HRH Prince William of Wales married Catherine 'Kate' Middleton on April 29, 2011.'





Jersey Biford, 6, from Hertfordshire with the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge dolls. But according to makers Arklu, the painstakingly recreated dolls are intended for 14-year-olds





Daisy, 5, and Millie Robinson, 9, from Suffolk brandish the dolls





A must for Christmas 2011? The dolls retail for £100





For every Princess Catherine Wedding Doll or Royal Wedding Dolls set sold, £1 will be donated to the RNLI.



The Royal Couple's first joint official public engagement was the launch of a lifeboat at the RNLI base at Trearddur Bay, in Anglesey, North Wales.



Arklu were also first to launch the Princess Catherine engagement doll this April.



With a limited run of 10,000 retailing at £34.95 per doll, coverage soon spread around the globe with it featuring on NBC ‘The Today Show’, People Magazine, CNN, Time, Life and Forbes.







Similarity: The new Prince William and Princess Catherine Wedding Dolls bear an uncanny resemblance to Thunderbird puppets with their large heads and googly eyes



source: dailymail

By REBECCA ENGLISH and TAMARA COHEN

Showstopper: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, wearing the dress in all its glory, emerge from Westminster Abbey on their wedding day

Amid the pomp and splendour of a truly unforgettable day, The Dress was undoubtedly the star of the show.

And just like the most gracious stars, the Duchess of Cambridge’s stunning wedding gown is returning for an encore.

Those of us who admired it from the comfort of our sofas at home, can now see the £250,000 Alexander McQueen dress right up close – if we can get our hands on what is rapidly becoming the hottest ticket in town.


Fit for a Duchess: Kate Middleton's stunning wedding gown is going on display at the weekend, alongside other items from the big day


The dress is to take pride of place at Buckingham Palace’s annual summer exhibition this year, ensuring we can bask in the afterglow of Kate and William’s wedding day just that little bit longer.

While most brides carefully wrap their bridal gowns in tissue paper and store them away with their memories, Kate’s will be shared with the nation all over again.


Beauty in the detail: 58 gazar buttons run from the collar to the waist on the gown, while Kate's veil is made of soft ivory silk tulle and stitched with flowers


In fact visitors can relive every joyful moment of the day, with everything from the Duchess’s veil to her shoes and even the royal wedding cake on display.

Record demand means advance ticket sales are more than double on last year’s summer opening, with 600,000 people paying £17.50 per ticket to troop through the doors over the next ten weeks.

That would comfortably beat the palace’s previous highest attendance of 420,000 in 1994.

Here, the Daily Mail, which was offered an exclusive tour yesterday, can reveal the treasures in store for the first visitors this Saturday.


Something borrowed: This 1936 Cartier tiara was loaned to Kate by Queen and contains 1,000 glittering diamonds


Icing on the cake: The top three layers of the cake are replicas, with two saved for the couple's first child's Christening, as tradition dictates


The first cut: The mark made by the couple using a ceremonial sword is clearly visible on the bottom tier of the cake


Twinkle toes: The duchess's hand-stitched shoes were designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen and are size five-and-a-half


Bouquet of memories: A silk replica of Kate's flowers include sweet william, myrtle, lily of the valley and hyacinth


Little acorns: The Duchess's diamond earrings were a present from her parents for the wedding, and bare acorns as a nod to her family's new coat of arms


Spectacular: Pippa Middleton carries the train of her sister's gown, which was designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen and described as being sized 'small' by the exhibition's curator


However, look closely among the sugary flowers on the bottom tier and you can see the mark left by the ceremonial sword the couple used to cut it – an unbroken link to a magical day.

The Royal Wedding Dress: A Story of Great British Design runs until October 3 at Buckingham Palace. Tickets are priced at £17.50 and can be obtained from www.royalcollection.org.uk or 0207 766 7300.

source: dailymail

By REBECCA ENGLISH and RICHARD HARTLEY-PARKINSON


Goodbye: The Duke and Duchess look back from the plane before getting on board after what has been a hugely successful first official foreign tour


After driving through an area with one of the biggest populations of homeless people in the U.S., Prince William and Kate Middleton boarded a commercial jet to fly back to the UK after saying goodbye to America.

Following a hugely successful tour of Canada and California, they are currently heading back to Britain having showcased the global popularity of the royal couple.

They were greeted by British Airways staff at Los Angeles airport as they boarded a homeward bound aeroplane from the U.S. on a sun-drenched runway - a marked difference to their blustery arrival at Ottawa airport over a week ago.

Arriving at LAX in a Range Rover they said their final goodbyes and receiving their last curtseys before jetting back to Britain on the BA flight.

It was the first official royal tour that the couple have embarked upon abroad and apart from a couple of minor demonstrations it has been heralded a huge success not just for William and Kate but for the British Royal Family.



Prince William puts a reassuring hand on his wife's back to usher her into the British Airways plane back the the UK after their trip to Canada and America



William and Kate arrived at a sunny LAX in a Range Rover before saying a few final goodbyes to well wishers on the tarmac ahead of their flight back to the UK



Some of the staff who will look after the royal couple lined up to greet them as they made their way to the flight which is due to land back in the UK today



The Duke and Duchess ascend the staircase to their BA flight, led by two BA cabin crew before turning to have one last look at California before their flight home



The couple were escorted to Los Angeles airport by a police motorcade with several motorbikes closing roads and police cars ensuring safe passage


They snubbed a private jet in favour of travelling on the commercial flight with the Duke and Duchess along with their entourage and security taking first class seats on the jumbo which was filled with everyday passengers

Speaking just before take-off at Sony Studios for Service Nation: Mission Serve - a program honouring members of the armed services - William thanked Los Angeles for welcoming him and his new wife.



That's my boy! Prince William gives a speech at the job-fair, and it seems to go down well with his wife Kate who applauds



Before heading to the airport they stopped at the charity, the Tusk Trust, where they met author Kristin Gore, actress Reece Witherspoon and heiress Jessica de Rothschild



William gets a good reaction from one of his jokes as he and Kate meet Charlie Mayhew, chief executive of the Tusk Trust, and director Meredith Ogilvie-Thompson



Kate chats to donors to the Tusk Trust, Ernie and Diane Burgess. Prince William is the royal patron for the charity which used their visit to launch the Trust's U.S. Patron Circle



The Duke and Duchess took part in an impromptu walkabout outside their residence in LA to the delight of fans who posed for pictures with Kate



Kate speaks to the parent of a girl who appears a little bashful at meeting the Duchess



The crowds of public weren't as big in the U.S. as they were in Canada, but there were sufficient people to make the couple feel welcome



Full steam ahead: Kate cracks on with a drawing at the Inner-City Arts centre, but William was a little slower off the mark, looking as though he was asking for advice



Coming along nicely: Kate overseas the tortoise operation whilst in the background William seems mesmerised by the shell



Glamour: The couple looked spectacular as they joined Hollywood royalty for a red carpet event while, left, Kate and Nicole Kidman dazzle in their floor-length gowns



Nicole Kidman appears starstruck, smiling as she listens intently to Prince William... but then she breaks into a laugh as the prince pulls a face



Big moment: Kate talks to Tom Hanks and his wife Rita, left, while Jennifer Lopez puts a hand on William and listens intently while the Duchess laughs in the background

Letzter USA-Tag für William und Kate


source :dailymail