On the invitation of His Majesty The King, the king and the queen of the Kingdom of Lesotho will arrive in the country for a seven-day state visit tomorrow. Their Majesties will be accompanied by a minister and senior government officials. Thimphu has been undergoing preparations and is now all set to host the royal couple.
According to a news release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Their Majesties will hold an audience with the King and Queen of Lesotho on Wednesday at the Tashichhodzong. In the evening, Their Majesties will also host a State Banquet in honour of the visiting royals.
This visit will mark the first State Visit of a Head of State of an African nation to Bhutan.
His Majesty King Letsie III will be accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso Her Royal Highness Princess Senate Mohato Seeiso, and Her Royal Highness Princess Maseeiso Mohato Seeiso.
The streets and highways in the capital are being adorned with flags of both countries and portraits of Their Majesties Kings of the two nations.
According to the Thimphu Traffic Division, while traffic will not be closed entirely, disruptions are expected in the core Thimphu Thromde roads.
Residents of Thimphu are eagerly waiting to welcome the visiting royals.
“When I saw these flags, I wondered which country’s flag it is. But I heard that it is somewhere in Africa and that their royal families are visiting our country. We were talking among ourselves yesterday about this and we are very eager to welcome them here,” said Palden Chodrak, a resident in Thimphu.
“We are very eager to welcome the royal family in our country, as this visit will benefit our country and us a lot,” said Namgang, another resident.
The Kingdom of Lesotho is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, with a population of about two million. Lesotho and Bhutan are both members of the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Deki Lhazom
Edited by Kipchu
