A Natural Leader
I first met Crown Prince Jigme in 1966 when he arrived at Heatherdown, a well known prep school in Ascot at which I had been a pupil for two years. We were both 10 years of age and soon found we shared many of the same interests, especially in relation to the natural world and wildlife.
We slept in a dormitory of about six boys with the beds only a few inches apart; so late into the night, in hushed tones, he would tell me all about Bhutan… the high Himalayan peaks, the forested foothills, the lakes, the rivers, the Dzongs, the lamas, the creatures both real and mythological, as well as the history of his people and his family.
His passion for his country, his people and their culture was absolute and intense. It was not difficult to tell that he would rather have been at home in the mountains of the Dragon Kingdom than sitting behind a desk at a preparatory school for boys in the South of England! And who could blame him?
Nevertheless, he played a very full part in the life of the school, particularly on the sports field, and even then it was clear that here was a natural leader with a maturity of thought and manner was beyond his years.
Bhutan sounded so fascinating and wonderful that I could hardly believe that such a place actually existed. My doubts were dispelled, however, when in August 1968 I was asked to stay for four weeks as a guest of Prince Jigme and his parents, Their Majesties the King and Queen of Bhutan, and to be joined for the last two weeks by my family. Indeed I was immediately overwhelmed by the splendor and un-spoilt beauty of this most special mountain Kingdom, by the richness of its history and of its Buddhist culture, and by the friendliness and good nature of the people.
There was also a trip into the mountains at the head of the Ha Valley where we saw Blue Sheep, Musk Deer and Blood Pheasants. It was by far the most exciting thing I had ever done and still the grandest and most inspiring mountain scenery I have ever encountered as we made our way by mule, by yak and on foot along the narrow mountain paths, passing chortens at each summit that we reached. Certainly one thing that particularly struck me was the tremendous sense of humour possessed by the Bhutanese. They never stop laughing!
I was lucky enough to visit Bhutan a second time in 1975, by which time Prince Jigme had acceded to the throne. I know that exposure to the outside world and the development needs of the country have changed Bhutan in so many ways, but I also know that throughout his time on the throne, the King quite rightly did everything he could to preserve the Bhutanese way of life. It cannot have been an easy challenge when faced with all the pressures brought to bear by the modern world.
In the intervening years I have followed events in Bhutan with interest, occasionally mixed with concern, but more often with approval and always with a sense of pride in my old Heartherdown school friend of 40 years ago.
The Hon. Charles Pearson
A Friend of Bhutan
2007