How I Met Your Queen Mother

On Day 2 in country, I made my way to Dochu La Pass (approx. elevation 10,000 feet).  I left my guide for about 30 minutes to explore.  There’s a monument to Bhutanese soldiers lost in battling Indian extremists who were seeking refuge in Bhutan in the early 2000s.  There’s also a new temple atop a hill.  I walked up towards the temple and came to a wide set of stairs.  There were a few monks burning incense and some civil servants looking on.  I thought this was a little strange, but no one said anything to me, so I started climbing the 30-40 stairs.

I was almost at the top when I heard someone yelling at me.  I looked down and one of the civil servants was pointing at me and then pointing at the bottom of the stairs.  I turned around and got down as quickly as I could.  He told me that they were expecting the Queen Mother shortly and asked me to please wait to the side.

Before I continue, first a word about the Bhutanese royal family.  About 10 years ago, the king (who, by all accounts, was revered) decided that Bhutan should become a democracy.  And rather than being a formerly all-powerful king sitting around while there's a newly empowered parliament, the middle-aged king decided to abdicate the throne to his son.  The son and his wife (who happen to be perhaps the most photogenic royal couple in the world) now operate in roles akin to the British royal family.

A giant poster of the smiling young current royal couple greets you upon deplaning.

The current king’s mother (and obviously, the former queen) is about 50 years old.  She’s one of the former king’s 4 wives, all sisters.  (I smell a reality show …)  Unsure of all of the royal protocols, I now awaited her arrival with the handful of monks and civil servants.  I was not dressed as appropriately as I would like for an audience with royalty, but I removed my sunglasses and put my hands behind my back.

I was asked to move once more and then the motorcade approached.  First came an Army jeep with several soldiers.  Then came the Queen Mother’s car (license plate: “Bhutan 5”).  Finally came another vehicle driven by a soldier and a camera crew jumped out.  The Queen Mother’s car door was about 10 feet away from me.  I was the only tourist there with these monks and officials.  I could see she was on her phone and then one of the soldiers asked me to move another 5 feet away.  I did and she exited her car wearing an elegant kira (the Bhutanese dress).  She looked right at me, smiled, and said something.  I couldn’t understand what she said, but I didn’t think I should approach her to shake her hand or ask for a selfie, so I just smiled, nodded, and bowed my head.  She turned and went up the stairs.  I snapped a photo when I was sure that no one in her retinue was looking.

The Queen Mother and her retinue after our meeting.

I waited about 5 minutes and then went up the stairs myself.  There was a red carpet laid out for the Queen Mother and I decided I probably shouldn’t step on it, so I stepped over it.  I could not enter the temple during her visit, so I walked around, and saw some staff setting up tea service behind the temple.  I then walked down, found my amazed guide, and told him that the Queen Mother had just said something to me.  He told me that the temple I was visiting had been built by her for the protection and health of her son, the king.  And since my moment was caught by the camera crew, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was in the background on the Bhutanese Evening News.