The Bhutanese Leading the way.
“Age did not define him; vision and purpose did,” said the former Chief Justice Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye, remembering how the Fourth Druk Gyalpo led Bhutan with wisdom beyond his years.
Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye began his distinguished career in the royal household, first serving as Ziminangma (Master of the Household) to His Late Majesty the Third King during the crucial period of transition from 1971 to 1972, followed immediately by his role as Soelpon (Chamberlain) at the court of His Majesty The Fourth King.
Lyonpo went on to hold several key positions in Bhutan’s judiciary and administration, including High Court Judge, Second Secretary of the Royal Civil Service Commission, first Auditor General, and Chief Justice of the High Court, before becoming the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 2010, a role he held until 2014.
Throughout his career, Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye played a pivotal role in shaping Bhutan’s legal and constitutional framework, upholding the rule of law with integrity and dedication
Recalling his early days of service, Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye said, “The enduring image of His Majesty that stays with me is from when I first began serving him in late 1972. I was very young, and His Majesty was very young too, though I was a few years older.”
Lyonpo shared that what struck him most was the young Monarch’s remarkable maturity and depth of understanding.
Lyonpo described the Fourth Druk Gyalpo as a precocious and well-informed, confident leader who combined compassion for those in need with firm discipline for those who failed in their duties.
The Fourth King’s thoughts, Lyonpo noted, were always centered on the welfare and well-being of Bhutan and its people.
This is how Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye describes His Majesty The Fourth Druk Gyalpo, a leader whose wisdom, compassion, and discipline shaped the foundation of modern Bhutan.
Lyonpo reflected that the Fourth Druk Gyalpo’s leadership was both contrasting and complementary to that of his father, the Third King. He described the Fourth King as a courageous leader who spoke his mind and acted without hesitation.
“His Majesty The Fourth Druk Gyalpo is a courageous man,” Lyonpo said. “He said what he wanted, and he implemented what he wanted. When he said it, he did it without any hesitation.”
What struck Lyonpo most was the Fourth King’s ability to forgive; a quality he believed only truly great people possess. Despite His Majesty’s decisiveness, the Fourth Druk Gyalpo never held grudges or dwelled on mistakes made by others. His Majesty believed in moving forward with grace and understanding. “Having said that, a great man forgives,” Lyonpo noted. “He did not dwell on the bad memories of errors committed, because only great people can forgive, and he was one of them.”
Lyonpo further shared that the Fourth King’s approach to governance was deeply democratic in spirit. For His Majesty, every Bhutanese mattered; there was no distinction between the educated and the uneducated, or between those of high and humble status. The Fourth Druk Gyalpo listened to everyone with patience and empathy, and after hearing them, made decisions with courage and clarity.
Lyonpo shared that, once a project or reform was completed, His Majesty displayed a rare sense of detachment, leaving it to the institution to carry forward. His Majesty The Fourth Druk Gyalpo never lingered on what was done but always looked ahead to the next challenge, guided by his vision for Bhutan’s future.
Reflecting on the legacy of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye said that the most shining example His Majesty leaves behind is the lesson that wisdom and responsibility are not defined by age. “For His Majesty, age did not matter,” Lyonpo said. “He became King at the age of 16, and it was not a sign of immaturity.”
As the Fourth King grew older, he never looked back but grew wiser with time. For Lyonpo, this is a timeless lesson for future generations, that it is not age, but intention and purpose, that truly matter.
The second lesson Lyonpo shared was the Fourth King’s constant reminder that personal interests must never come before the national good. “He said it again and again, personal interest fails, and national interest succeeds,” Lyonpo said. It was this selflessness, he said, that allowed Bhutan to achieve progress beyond the imagination of others.
The third lesson, and one that Lyonpo holds most dearly, is humility in leadership. The Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Lyonpo said, believed that greatness lay not in position or power but in service to others. Lyonpo spoke with deep emotion, saying that this is the greatest lesson he has learned and continues to cherish, a lesson he remembers “with gratitude and tears in his heart.”
When asked to share a cherished memory with His Majesty, Lyonpo said there were many, but three stood out vividly.
The first was the moment he transitioned from serving the late Third King to the young Fourth King. “The command that came to all of us was, ‘Do not think that you are under another person. You are the same as you have served my King.’”
Those words, Lyonpo said, eased their apprehension and made the transition of leadership smooth and dignified.
The second memory was of the Fourth King’s simplicity. Despite his position, His Majesty lived humbly, often in a log cabin, surrounded by only the bare essentials. His Majesty’s simplicity, Lyonpo said, was matched only by the loftiness of his vision. It was “simple living with grand thinking,” a combination that defined His Majesty’s reign and inspired those who served under him.
The third and final memory that Lyonpo shared was of the Fourth King’s spirit, a true King in every sense. As a Crown Prince, Lyonpo shared that His Majesty was a winner in sports like football and basketball; as a Monarch, His Majesty was determined to succeed in nation-building.
Even in retirement, Lyonpo observed, the Fourth Druk Gyalpo never looked back. His Majesty remained completely detached, embodying what Lyonpo described as “the core teaching of the Lord Buddha, total detachment.”
Speaking as a humble servant of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye reflected on his lifelong journey in service to the throne. From his early days as one of the most junior officials under the late Third King, he rose through the ranks to become a minister, Chief Justice, and Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee. Lyonpo humbly credited this not to his own merit but to the graciousness and trust of the Fourth King.
Lyonpo expressed profound gratitude for the opportunities and responsibilities that His Majesty had bestowed upon him. Lyonpo said he would forever remain thankful for the generosity of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, for the mistakes His Majesty had forgiven, and for the historic responsibilities His Majesty had entrusted him with.
In deep reflection, Lyonpo said it is almost hard to believe that such a great man, of flesh and blood, walked among them, spoke to them, and led them by example in every field. “He talked to us in the field, he served us in the office,” Lyonpo recalled. “He served the nation on the battlefield and on the international stage.”
Lyonpo added that under the reign of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Bhutan transformed from isolation towards Gross National Happiness to environmental preservation, constitutional democracy, and national security, which have become the foundation of Bhutan’s modern identity.
In Lyonpo’s words, the Fourth Druk Gyalpo stands as a shining example of selfless service, a leader who gave everything for his country, asked for nothing in return, and inspired generations through humility, courage, and boundless love for Bhutan.
