King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and his Queen Jetsun were in Delhi on their honeymoon last month, captivating Delhi’s chattering classes. At the Rashtrapati Bhavan, in his banquet speech, the King spoke of the close ties between India and Bhutan. And then, he turned to the subject of marriage. “As I have been married for ten whole days, I feel I am sufficiently experienced to speak on the subject,” he said solemnly, as the entire table smiled widely.
But the real story is the one that never got told. In Punakha, the administrative capital of Bhutan, the King and the Queen were on a walk-about in a huge archery stadium. From one end of the stadium, the King called out to the crowd, “What do you think? Shall I kiss my bride?”
“Yes,” roared the crowd. So, he kissed the new Queen on one cheek. “Are you satisfied,” he asked. “No,” roared the crowd. So, he kissed her on the other cheek. “Are you satisfied now?” he asked. “Yes,” answered the crowd. “But I’m not satisfied,” said the King and kissed his wife on the lips in public. The crowd went mad.
