Chogyal The Chogyal ("Dharma Kings", ) were the monarchs of the former Kingdom of Sikkim, which belonged to the Namgyal dynasty. The Chogyal was the absolute monarch of Sikkim from 1642 to 1975, when the monarchy was abolished and the Sikkimese people ...

Wangchuk Tenzing Namgyal ( Sikkimese: ; Wylie: ''dbang-phyug bstan-'dzin rnam-rgyal''; born 1 April 1953) is the second son of

Palden Thondup Namgyal Palden Thondup Namgyal ( Sikkimese: ; Wylie: ''dpal-ldan don-grub rnam-rgyal'') (23 May 1923 – 29 January 1982) was the 12th and last Chogyal (king) of the Kingdom of Sikkim. Biography Palden thondup Namgyal was born on 23 May 1923 at the ...

, the last sovereign king of

Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siligur ...

. Educated at Harrow, he is also the present heir of the Namgyal dynasty and

pretender A pretender is someone who claims to be the rightful ruler of a country although not recognized as such by the current government. The term is often used to suggest that a claim is not legitimate.Curley Jr., Walter J. P. ''Monarchs-in-Waiting'' ...

to the throne of Sikkim. On February 19, 1982, following the death of his father, he was crowned at Tsuklakhang Palace. However,

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

did not recognize this coronation. The 3rd

Chief Minister of Sikkim The chief minister of Sikkim is the head of the executive branch of the Government of Sikkim, the subnational authority of the Indian state of Sikkim. The chief minister acts as the head of government in the state, chairs the Council of Ministe ...

, B. B. Gurung, recognized him as the 13th

Honours

* : **

Palden Thondup Namgyal Coronation Medal (Sikkim)

''Chogyal'' Palden Thondup Namgyal Coronation Medal (4 April 1965).

Ancestry

References

External links

Hidden Kingdom in the Himalayas
1953 births Living people People educated at Harrow School Pretenders to the throne of Sikkim Monarchs of Sikkim Indian exiles {{Asia-royal-stub