{{Bhutanese Name}} {{Infobox royalty | consort = yes | name = Sangay Choden | image = Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck (cropped).jpg | coronation = | cor-type = | caption = Sangay Choden in 2011 | succession = Queen consort of Bhutan | reign = 1979 – 9 December 2006 | reign-type = Tenure | regent = Dorji Wangmo<br/>Tshering Pem<br/>Tshering Yangdon | reg-type = Co-queens consort | full name = Sangay Choden Wangchuck<ref group=fn>Women in Bhutan retain their names upon marriage.</ref> | spouse = {{marriage|Jigme Singye Wangchuck|1979}} | issue = Khamsum Singye Wangchuck<br/>Euphelma Choden Wangchuck | father = ''Dasho Yab'' Ugyen Dorji | mother = ''Yum'' Thuiji Zam | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1963|5|11}} | birth_place = Nobgang, Punakha, Bhutan | religion = Buddhism | successor = | house = Wangchuck (by marriage) }} {{Royal Family of Bhutan}} '''Sangay Choden''' ({{langx|dz|སངས་རྒྱས་ཆོས་ལྡན}}, {{bo|w=sangs-rgyas chos-ldan}}, born 11 May 1963) is one of the four wives and queens of the 4th king Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who ruled in Bhutan from 1972 until his abdication in 2006. She is the Queen Mother (Gyalyum Kude) of Bhutan.
== Biography == Her father, ''Yab Dasho'' Ugyen Dorji (1925–2019), was the Founder and Proprietor of Ugyen Academy (UA) (03/04/2002).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ugyenacademy.edu.bt/main/page.php?id=1 |title=Ugyen Academy |access-date=2017-06-13 |archive-date=2019-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328120753/http://ugyenacademy.edu.bt/main/page.php?id=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Her mother is ''Yum'' Thuiji Zam (b. 1932). ''Yum'' Thuiji Zam Charity School in Thimphu District is named after her.<ref>[https://www.bhutannewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Private-Schools-Fees-2015.pdf Fee Structure of Private Schools in Bhutan]</ref>
She was educated at St. Joseph's Convent, Kalimpong, and St. Helen's School, Kurseong, India.
Her three brothers are:<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Dorji |first=Yab Ugyen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QKiNspaeno8C&q=grandfather |title=Of Rainbows and Clouds: The Life of Yab Ugyen Dorji as Told to His Daughter |last2=Bhutan) |first2=Queen Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck (Consort of Jigme Singye Wangchuck, King of |date=1999 |publisher=Serindia Publications, Inc. |isbn=978-0-906026-49-6 |language=en}}</ref>
* ''Lyonpo'' Sangay Ngedup (b. 1953), former Prime Minister of Bhutan. * ''Dasho'' Ugyen Tsechup (b. 1964). * ''Dasho'' Topgay (b. 1966).
Her five sisters are (three of them are the other Queen Mothers):<ref name=":0" />
* ''Ashi'' Beda (b. 1951). * HM ''Ashi'' Dorji Wangmo (b. 1955). * HM ''Ashi'' Tshering Pem (b. 1957). * HM ''Ashi'' Tshering Yangdon (b. 1959), mother of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. * ''Ashi'' Sonam Choden (b. 1969).
Sangay Choden was appointed the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) Goodwill Ambassador in Bhutan in 1999.<ref name=UNFPA>{{Cite web|url=http://www.unfpa.org/queen-mother-ashi-sangay-choden-wangchuck|title=United Nations Population Fund|publisher=UNFPA}}</ref>
{{Quote|I support the all around development of our younger generations, in whose hands lie the future of our country.}}
Sangay Choden is particularly interested in promoting the arts in Bhutan and advocating the country's rich cultural heritage. She is the patron of the Bhutan Textile Museum in Thimphu which she helped establish in 2001.<ref name=Queen>{{Cite web|url=http://www.raonline.ch/pages/story/bt/bttextmus01.html|title= Textile Museum in Thimphu - Preserving and promoting a national heritage|accessdate=March 30, 2010|publisher=KUENSEL News Paper, Thimpu}}</ref>
Her Majesty also established the Tara Lhadron Zhingkham Lhakhang, a temple dedicated to the 21 Taras located in the historically and spiritually significant temple grounds of Parigzampa Astrology School in Dechencholing, Thimphu.<ref>[http://www.diplomatmagazine.nl/2017/02/05/queen-mother-bhutan/ Diplomat Magazine]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
On 1 July 2011 she visited the Alhambra with her daughter, Princess ''Ashi'' Euphelma Choden Wangchuck.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-07-02 |title=Visita de la reina de Bután a la Alhambra |url=https://www.abc.es/espana/andalucia/sevi-visita-reina-butan-alhambra-201107020000_noticia.html |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=Diario ABC |language=es}}</ref>
== Children == She had, with the former king, the following children: {| class="wikitable" |- ! Name!! Birth!!colspan="2" |Marriage!! Issue |- |Prince ''Dasho''<br/>Khamsum Singye Wangchuck ([http://2008.bhutan-360.com/uploads/2008/10/corontion_prince_khamsum.jpg Photo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801090408/http://2008.bhutan-360.com/uploads/2008/10/corontion_prince_khamsum.jpg |date=2013-08-01 }}) || {{birth date and age|1985|10|6|df=y}} || || || |- |Princess ''Ashi''<br/>Euphelma Choden Wangchuck ([http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff431/PallasMoon/Bhutan/Newscom-sipaphotosthree329532.jpg Photo]) || {{birth date and age|1993|6|6|df=y}} || 29 October 2020 || ''Dasho'' Thinley Norbu<ref>{{cite web |title=Surprise royal wedding revealed for Princess Euphelma of Bhutan |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/brides/2020102999968/royal-wedding-princess-euphelma-bhutan/ |website=Hello Magazine |accessdate=30 October 2020}}</ref> || |- |}
== Patronages == * Royal Patron of the Bhutan Textile Museum.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Altmann |first=Karin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ZNlCwAAQBAJ&dq=Fabric+of+Life+-+Textile+Arts+in+Bhutan:+Culture,+Tradition+and+Transformation&pg=PA3 |title=Fabric of Life - Textile Arts in Bhutan: Culture, Tradition and Transformation |date=2015-11-27 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |isbn=978-3-11-042861-2 |language=en}}</ref> * Chairman of the Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan (RTAB).<ref>[https://www.drukasia.com/community/ Drukasia]</ref> * Founder and President of RENEW (Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women) since 2004.<ref name=RENEW>{{Cite web|url=http://renew.org.bt/?page_id=57|title= President of RENEW}}</ref> * Goodwill Ambassador for UNFPA since 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.unfpa.org/es/node/26001 |title=United Nations Population Award Ceremony |access-date=2021-03-20 |archive-date=2021-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103182416/https://www.unfpa.org/es/node/26001 |url-status=dead }}</ref> * President of the Gyalyum (Queen Mother) Charitable Trust.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home {{!}} The Gyalyum Charitable Trust Fund - Bhutan |url=https://gyalyum.org/ |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=gyalyum.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us {{!}} The Gyalyum Charitable Trust Fund - Bhutan |url=https://gyalyum.org/about/about-us/ |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=gyalyum.org}}</ref>
== Honours == * {{flag|United States}} : ** {{Flagicon|United Nations}} United Nations Population Award (Individual Category, 10 December 2020).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.unfpa.org/es/node/26001 |title=United Nations Population Award Ceremony |access-date=2021-03-20 |archive-date=2021-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103182416/https://www.unfpa.org/es/node/26001 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==See also== * House of Wangchuck * Line of succession to the Bhutanese throne
==References== {{Reflist}}
== Notes == {{reflist|group=fn}}
== External links == * [http://bhutannewsonline.com/monarchy.html Bhutan News Online] * [http://www.worldwhoswho.com/public/views/royal_families.html?country=BHUTAN World Who's Who]
{{s-start}} {{s-hou|House of Wangchuck||11 May 1963||}} {{s-roy|bt}} {{S-bef|before=Kesang Choden}} {{S-ttl|title=Queen consort of Bhutan|years=1979–2006 |regent1=Dorji Wangmo |regent2=Tshering Pem |regent3=Tshering Yangdon}} {{s-aft|after=Jetsun Pema}} {{S-bef|before=Kesang Choden}} {{S-ttl|title=Queen Mother of Bhutan|years=2006–present |regent1=Dorji Wangmo |regent2=Tshering Pem |regent3=Tshering Yangdon}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Bhutanese royal consorts Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Bhutanese queen mothers Category:Wangchuck dynasty