Royal Family Visited Exhibition Honouring Fourth King's Legacy
Bhutan’s Royal Family visited the Royal Textile Academy in Thimphu to view a special exhibition honouring the Fourth King's legacy and the Thagzo exhibition on Bhutanese textile traditions.
His Majesty King Jigme and Her Majesty Queen Jetsun, and Members of the Royal Family visited the Royal Textile Academy (RTA) in Thimphu on 6 August 2026 to view a special exhibition dedicated to the 70th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
Titled The Visionary Monarch: A Tribute to the Fourth King’s Enduring Legacy, the exhibition looks back at his reign and contributions through photographs, textiles, artefacts, archival material and multimedia displays.
Their Majesties and Members of the Royal Family also viewed Thagzo: Textile Weaves of Bhutan, an exhibition highlighting Bhutan’s rich textile and weaving traditions.
A tribute to the Fourth King’s legacy
The Visionary Monarch was opened at the Royal Textile Academy on 2 June 2026 by His Royal Highness Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, the eldest son of Their Majesties.
Curated by the Royal Textile Academy in collaboration with the Museum Division under the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development, the exhibition forms part of this year’s commemoration of the Fourth King, who was born on 11 November 1955.
The displays explore different aspects of his reign and contributions to governance, conservation and cultural preservation. An exhibition catalogue was also formally unveiled when the exhibition opened in June.
A newly commissioned thongdrol
The opening on 2 June also included the consecration of a newly commissioned Guru Tshengye Thongdrol created by the Royal Textile Academy as a tribute to the Fourth King.
Commissioned in 2024, the thongdrol incorporates Bhutanese textile traditions into the religious artwork. The garments of Guru Rinpoche are rendered in handwoven Kushuthara textiles, while the decorative borders feature Hor patterns. Natural plant-based dyes were used in its creation.
Her Majesty Queen Mother Sangay Choden Wangchuck, Royal Patron of the Royal Textile Academy, and Her Royal Highness Princess Eeuphelma Choden Wangchuck were among those who attended the June opening.
The exhibition is open to the public.
A defining period in modern Bhutan
His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck became the Fourth King in 1972 and served as King for 34 years.
His reign was a period of significant political, social and economic change in Bhutan. Among the ideas most closely associated with his leadership is Gross National Happiness, an approach to development that places importance on wellbeing alongside economic progress.
His reign also saw the strengthening of environmental conservation policies and a gradual process of political decentralisation and democratisation.
The transition ultimately led towards Bhutan's establishment as a democratic constitutional monarchy. His Majesty the Fourth King abdicated in favour of his son, His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, in December 2006. Bhutan held its first parliamentary elections in 2008.
The exhibition places these developments within the wider story of his 34-year reign and their continuing significance in contemporary Bhutan.
Bhutan’s textile heritage alongside royal history
During the 6 August visit, Their Majesties and Members of the Royal Family also viewed Thagzo: Textile Weaves of Bhutan, which is concurrently on display at the Royal Textile Academy.
Thagzo refers to Bhutan's traditional art of weaving. Textiles have long held practical, artistic and cultural significance in Bhutan, appearing in everyday clothing as well as ceremonial and religious contexts.
Bhutanese weaving encompasses different materials, techniques, patterns and regional traditions. The knowledge involved has historically been transmitted through generations of weavers, making textiles an important part of the country's living cultural heritage.
The f works to preserve and promote this heritage through its museum, exhibitions, educational activities and documentation.
By presenting Thagzo alongside an exhibition examining the Fourth King's reign, the RTA offers visitors two perspectives on Bhutan's heritage, one centred on the country's modern royal history and another on a cultural tradition that continues to be practised today.
Connecting history and living heritage
For visitors to Thimphu, The Visionary Monarch provides an introduction to a period that shaped many aspects of contemporary Bhutan, from governance and conservation to the country's approach to development.
Together with Thagzo: Textile Weaves of Bhutan, the exhibitions also show how the Royal Textile Academy brings Bhutan's modern history and living cultural traditions together within the same space.
