Kate Middleton And Prince William Gifted Queen Jetsun Of Bhutan A Framed Red Rose

Kate Middleton and Prince William gifted Queen Jetsun of Bhutan a framed picture of a rose. The British royal couple met King Jigme and Queen Jetsun during a private dinner at Lingkana Palace in Thimphu on April 14. They showed their gratitude to the Bhutanese royals with the special and very thoughtful gift.

William, 33, and Kate, 34, were on a six-day royal visit to India and Bhutan. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met Jigme, 36, and his wife Jetsun, 25, also known as the ‘William and Kate of the Himalayas’ during their Bhutan visit. The British royals spent two days in the Himalayan region. The foursome met for the first time.

New mother Jetsun was presented with a red rose by William and Kate. The red flower is aptly named the ‘Queen of Bhutan Rose’ and was developed as a special gesture for the king and queen, who founded the annual Royal Bhutan Flower Show last year and has created an English garden. The rose variety has been grown in the U.K. and 75 dormant plants have been shipped to Bhutan to be cultivated, a statement from the Foreign Office revealed.

“I am delighted that Their Royal Highnesses have been able to present this rose to the king and queen of Bhutan as a symbolic gesture of the growing friendship between our two countries,” said Hugo Swire, minister for Asia. Kate opted for a multicolor floral mesh gown from American designer Tory Burch for the private dinner. The casual maxi dress featured a classic column shape and embroidered with jewel-toned flowers and beading.

Earlier in the day, the couple participated in an archery event. It is the national game of Bhutan and William and Kate sportingly tried their hands at it. Kate gave a nod to her host country in a kira-inspired long skirt paired with a Paul & Joe floral embroidered white cape.

The fabric of the duchess’s skirt was woven by a local weaver Kelzang Wangmo in Bhutan and then flown to London. It was made to suit Kate’s specifications. Meanwhile, Jetsun too presented the mother-of-two with a gold and diamond necklace, which she sported when she took a flight back to India from Bhutan.