druk gyalpo

Bhutan ruler

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June 25, 2026

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The Druk Gyalpo, or "Dragon King," is the ruler of Bhutan. Historically, Bhutan was an absolute monarchy, with the Druk Gyalpo holding supreme power. The current royal line was established in 1907 when Ugyen Wangchuk, a regional governor, was elected hereditary king.12

In recent decades, Bhutan has transitioned to a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. This process began in the 1950s under the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, and was completed in 2008 under the fifth king, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, with the establishment of a popularly elected legislature. While the monarch remains the head of state, the prime minister now serves as the head of government.1

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Bhutan
Constitutional framework
…whose sovereign was styled the druk gyalpo (“dragon king”). During the second half of the 20th century, the monarchs increasingly divested themselves of their power, and in 2008 King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, the fifth in a royal line that had been established in 1907, completed the transfer of governmental…
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…whose sovereign was styled the druk gyalpo (“dragon king”). During the second half of the 20th century, the monarchs increasingly divested themselves of their power, and in 2008 King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, the fifth in a royal line that had been established in 1907, completed the transfer of governmental…
Read More