Bhutan’s little princess celebrates third birthday with new photos shared by her mum

One of Asia’s youngest royals has been seen in new photographs to mark her birthday.

Bhutan’s Princess Sonam Yangden Wangchuck turned three today (September 9) and her mother, Queen Jetsun Pema, shared four new portraits in honour of the occasion.

“Wishing our beloved princess a very happy and blessed third birthday,” the 36-year-old wrote on her official Instagram page.

Princess Sonam was seen wearing traditional Bhutanese dress, known as the kira, and a strand of pearls around her neck.

In one of the photos the little royal was hugging her older brother, Prince Ugyen Wangchuck, six.

Princess Sonam is the third child of Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his wife, Queen Jetsun Pema.

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Their eldest son is Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, 10, who is heir to the Kingdom of Bhutan − a tiny Himalayan landlocked country that shares borders with China and India.

Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck is one of the youngest heirs apparent. Six-year-old Prince Charles of Luxembourg hold’s the title of the world’s youngest royal heir.

For much of the 20th century, Bhutan was isolated from the world preserving much of its Buddhist traditions, landscape and wildlife.

The Bhutanese name for Bhutan, Druk Yul, means ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’. The king is often referred to as the ‘Dragon King’ and his wife the ‘Dragon Queen’.

The royal children are well known in Bhutan and regularly attend official engagements, and religious ceremonies, with their parents.

In October 2024, King Jigme and Queen Jetsun made an official visit to Australia with their three young children.

The family spent eight days in Sydney, Canberra and Perth, which has the largest community of Bhutanese living abroad. Australia is home to more Bhutanese people than any country, outside the Himalayan kingdom. There are more than 35,000 Bhutanese in Australia.

The king was officially welcomed to Australia by the Governor-General at Admiralty House in Sydney before travelling to Canberra where he met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House.

At an official audience in Canberra, more than 5000 people turned out to see the king and his family.

Their visit came just a week before Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla made their first joint official tour of Australia since the coronation.

Bhutan’s king and queen were guests at the coronation in London and in 2016, the couple hosted Prince William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, on a royal visit to the kingdom.

William and Catherine spent two days in Bhutan where they visited a mountainous monastery and the princess famously played archery, the country’s national sport.

King Jigme and Queen Jetsun are often compared to Prince William and his wife due to their popularity, youth and good looks.

The king came to the throne in November 2008, following the abdication of his father in December 2006.

The former king began the transition of Bhutan from an absolute monarchy to a democratic constitutional monarchy in 2008. King Jigme is the fifth in a line of hereditary rulers who have reigned in Bhutan for the last 100 years.

He made headlines for marrying a commoner, now Queen Jetsun, in October 2011. She made history by becoming the world’s youngest queen consort, aged just 21 when she married Bhutan’s ruler.