LESTER HOLT, co-host:
If you thought the wedding of
Prince William
and
Kate
was a big deal, wait until you see what's going on right now in the mountain kingdom of
Bhutan
, where the king of this Himalayan country has just tied the knot. It's a true fairy-tale romance, and our
Ian Williams
has the story.
IAN WILLIAMS reporting:
They gathered from dawn all along the mountain roads, hoping for a glimpse of
Bhutan
's newly married king and his young queen as they made their way home, and they weren't to be disappointed.
King JIGME KHESAR:
...thank you.
WILLIAMS:
King
Jigme Khesar
, the "
Dragon King
," had said he wanted to meet personally as many people as possible, and with Queen
Jetsun Pema
at his side, he stopped at village after village to meet the throngs of well-wishers.
King JIGME KHESAR:
Hi
.
Unidentified Woman:
They are really meant for each other.
WILLIAMS:
Very easy to talk to.
Woman:
Yeah.
WILLIAMS:
From a nearby monastery engulfed in clouds of incense, horns and cymbals greeted the royal couple, the sound reverberating around the valley. they seemed moved by the reception, stopping briefly to talk to
NBC News
.
King JIGME KHESAR:
Thank you.
Queen JETSUN PEMA:
Thank you.
King JIGME KHESAR:
Thank you very much
.
WILLIAMS:
Seems like the whole country has turned out to see you today.
King JIGME KHESAR:
Well, I am very fortunate, very fortunate.
WILLIAMS:
It was -- it was a wonderful ceremony yesterday.
King JIGME KHESAR:
Yes. We enjoyed it.
Queen JETSUN PEMA:
Yes, we did.
King JIGME KHESAR:
Yes.
WILLIAMS:
Do you have plans for a honeymoon?
King JIGME KHESAR:
No. No, no.
Queen JETSUN PEMA:
No.
King JIGME KHESAR:
We'll start working right after the day we are married, and if we travel we'll travel around the country. We'd like to meet more people.
WILLIAMS:
Congratulations.
King JIGME KHESAR:
But thank you.
Thank you very much
.
WILLIAMS:
Thank you very much
.
King JIGME KHESAR:
Thank you.
Queen JETSUN PEMA:
Thank you. Thank you....
King JIGME KHESAR:
And it means a lot to us. Thank you.
WILLIAMS:
Thank you. They were married in a traditional
Buddhist
ceremony, the king, known as the
Prince Charming
of the
Himalayas
, taking a queen whose beauty has been the talk of this tiny, isolated nation, the
Land
of the
Thunder Dragon
. She's a student and a commoner, the daughter of an airline pilot, and at 21, she's 10 years his junior. Their wedding has transfixed a country that had no roads or currency until the
1960s
, no television until 10 years ago, and remains fiercely proud of its culture and wary of outside influence. The king's revered in this land of just 700,000 people where progress is measured by a principle called gross natural happiness. There've been so many well-wishers that it's taken the royal couple all day to cover the 50 miles back to the capital here, where tens of thousands more are waiting for him. They entered
Thimphu
on foot, walking hand in hand through the jubilant crowds. Some had been waiting all day, but this was the moment that made it all worthwhile.
Ian Williams
, NBC News, Thimphu,
Bhutan
.
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