Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck
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Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck (born 10 June 1955) is a Queen Mother of Bhutan and the eldest of the four sister-queens of the 4th Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck. She is the founder and president of the Tarayana Foundation (2003) and the author of two widely read books on Bhutan.
Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck (Dzongkha: རྡོ་རྗེ་དབང་མོ་དབང་ཕྱུག, born 10 June 1955) is a Queen Mother of Bhutan. She is the eldest of the four sister-queens of the 4th Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck and the senior queen by birth order among the four sisters who married the same monarch in a private 1979 ceremony, formalised at Punakha Dzong on 31 October 1988.[1]
She is the founder and president of the Tarayana Foundation, launched on 4 May 2003, which works on poverty alleviation and rural development in remote Bhutanese villages. She is also the author of two books published by major presses: Of Rainbows and Clouds: The Memoirs of Yab Ugyen Dorji as told to his daughter Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck (Serindia Publications, 1999), a memoir of her father, and Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan (Penguin Viking, 2006), a personal account of Bhutanese history, geography, and society.[2][3]
Following the abdication of the 4th King on 14 December 2006 in favour of his eldest son Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, she has held the title of Gyalyum (Queen Mother).
Family and Early Life
Dorji Wangmo was born in 1955 to Yab Dasho Ugyen Dorji (1929–2016), founder and proprietor of the Ugyen Academy boarding school, and Yum Thuiji Zam. She is the eldest of four sisters — the others are Ashi Tshering Pem (born 1957), Ashi Tshering Yangdon (born 1959), and Ashi Sangay Choden (born 1963) — all of whom married the 4th King. She was educated at St. Helen's School in Kurseong, India, alongside her sisters.[1]
Her two children with the 4th King are Princess Sonam Dechen Wangchuck (born 1981) and Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck (born 1984).[1]
Tarayana Foundation
The Tarayana Foundation grew out of journeys Dorji Wangmo made on foot through remote parts of Bhutan between 1999 and 2006. According to the foundation's official account, these treks — many crossing passes above 5,000 metres and lasting up to seventeen days — brought her into contact with rural communities facing acute poverty, poor housing, weak sanitation, and limited access to credit and education. The foundation was formally launched on 4 May 2003 by the then Crown Prince, the future 5th King.[2]
Tarayana operates in remote villages across Bhutan, focusing on housing improvement, climate-resilient water and sanitation (WASH), nutrition, micro-finance, and youth empowerment. As of 2025 the foundation reports that it has built more than 3,000 homes in over 600 villages and has assisted thousands of vulnerable families.[4] In 2024 it entered a partnership with the United States–based Karuna Foundation, which awarded a US$1 million grant for the construction of disaster-resilient homes.[5]
Books and Cultural Patronage
Of Rainbows and Clouds: The Memoirs of Yab Ugyen Dorji as told to his daughter Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck was published by Serindia Publications in London in 1999. The book is a biographical memoir of her father, drawing on traditional eastern Himalayan family history and on the political circumstances surrounding the rise of the Wangchuck dynasty.
Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan was published by Penguin Viking (Penguin Random House India) in 2006. The book combines memoir, history, folklore, and travel writing and has been reissued in paperback by Penguin India.[3]
She has been Honorary President of Sherubtse College since 2000 and patron of the Folk Heritage Museum in Thimphu since 2001. She has also sponsored and edited a number of poetry collections and essay volumes on Bhutanese national questions.[1]
Public Roles
Among the four queens, Dorji Wangmo is the most visible in cultural diplomacy and civil-society work. She has represented Bhutan at international forums on poverty alleviation, women's empowerment, and traditional culture, and has hosted state guests and academic delegations on cultural visits. She received the inaugural Smile Asia Philanthropic Visionary Award in recognition of her work through Tarayana.[6]
See Also
References
- Dorji Wangmo — Wikipedia
- About Us — Tarayana Foundation
- Treasures of the Thunder Dragon — Penguin Random House India
- Tarayana Foundation's contributions as it celebrates 22nd anniversary — The Bhutanese
- Karuna Foundation grants USD 1M to Tarayana Foundation — Kuensel
- Queen Mother Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck receives inaugural Smile Asia Philanthropic Visionary Award — Daily Bhutan
See also
Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck
Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck (born 10 June 1955) is a Queen Mother of Bhutan and the first wife of the fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. She is an acclaimed author, philanthropist, and the founding president of the Tarayana Foundation, which has transformed the lives of more than 300,000 rural Bhutanese.
people·5 min readJigme Dorji Wangchuck
Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1929–1972), the third King of Bhutan, is known as the "Father of Modern Bhutan." He abolished serfdom, established the National Assembly, joined the United Nations, and launched Bhutan's first modern development plans.
people·3 min readShabdrung Jigme Dorji
Shabdrung Jigme Dorji (1905–1931) was the seventh and last politically recognised mind incarnation (thugtul) of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. Recognised in childhood and enthroned in Punakha, he came into conflict with the early Wangchuck monarchy and died at Talo Monastery under contested circumstances. His death effectively ended state recognition of further Zhabdrung mind reincarnations in Bhutan.
people·6 min readJigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (born 1980) is the fifth and current Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) of Bhutan, having ascended the throne in 2006 following the voluntary abdication of his father, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Oxford-educated and widely known as the "People's King," he oversaw Bhutan's transition to a constitutional monarchy and has been credited with strengthening democratic institutions, promoting environmental conservation, and leading an effective COVID-19 response. His reign has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and the Bhutanese diaspora for not addressing the unresolved refugee crisis.
people·6 min readAshi Sangay Choden Wangchuck
Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck (born 11 May 1963) is a Queen Mother (Gyalyum) of Bhutan and the fourth and youngest of the four queens of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. She is the founder and president of RENEW (Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women), a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, and established the Bhutan Textile Museum.
people·5 min readAshi Kesang Choden Wangchuck
Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck (born 21 May 1930) is the Gyalyum (Royal Grandmother) of Bhutan, widow of the Third Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, mother of the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and paternal grandmother of the reigning Fifth King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. A daughter of the Dorji family of Bhutan and Sikkim, she has been a central figure in the Wangchuck dynasty for more than seven decades.
people·10 min read
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