Bhutan woke up early today as the news of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen becoming parents ushered the dawn. The day long awaited came; a more happy day there couldn’t be to begin the day.

It is a special moment for Bhutan and the Bhutanese because astrologers have it that the Fire Male Monkey Year is an extraordinary year. The combination of fire element with year of the monkey in Bhutanese calendar is considered particularly auspicious. And His Royal Highness the Gyalsey is born.

As we welcome the most joyous announcement of the birth of The Gyalsey, it is a moment for us to pause and reflect on the profound significance of the event.

We celebrated the 60th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty The Fourth Druk Gyalpo recently. It was the celebrations of the achievements of a King who shaped the face of the nation and carved its destiny. It was a celebration of an unprecedented era of a nation that continues to inspire the world.

And now we celebrate yet another historic milestone of unparalleled significance. We celebrate the beginning of a new era. The birth of The Gyalsey marks the defining moment in the history of the nation. The birth of Gyalsey symbolizes the continuity of the sacred legacy of the Wangchuck Dynasty. It links Drukyul’s past to its future.

In Bhutan, our beloved Kings are the essence and symbol of unity, sacred figures that provide guidance and wisdom from the helm. The Royal birth thus fulfills the hopes of our future generation – a progressive and stable future for Bhutan.

It is important to mark that the birth of The Gyalsey coincides with two extraordinary and historical events in our history – birth of the second Buddha, Guru Rinpoche and the 400th year of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel’s arrival in Bhutan. The event is most extraordinary so.

As Tsugla Lopon explained, the birth of The Gyalsey under such special circumstances is the culmination of the merit that the Bhutanese people earned through our aspirations, devotion, and prayers. Astrologers predict that sun of peace will continue to shine over Drukyul and its people; extraordinary progress and happiness will prevail. A moment most apt there cannot be for us all to rejoice.

We continue to enjoy unprecedented peace and stability with sacred and unalloyed fidelity to our monarch as we build on the good relations we have with our friends near and far.

If we may recall, when His Majesty the King announced at the Royal Wedding in 2011, He said that union of His Majesty and Gyaltsuen signifies much more than union of two hearts. The people of 20 dzongkhags, His Majesty said, became his family when he received the Dhar Ngay-Nga from the sacred Machhen and became the Fifth Dragon King of Bhutan.

Today, we welcome our Gyalsey, our sacred symbol of continuity and of unity, with utmost joy and happiness.