Bhutan’s new royal baby made an adorable Instagram debut with these pictures

By Erin Vanderhoof2 June 2020

While the last few months haven’t been the brightest in the happiness-loving country, the royal family is celebrating their newest addition

In 1972, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of the South Asian nation Bhutan (population 750,000) made headlines for coining the phrase “Gross National Happiness” in an interview that chastised other nations for prioritizing the economy over the lives of their citizens. When his son King Jigme Khesar ascended to the throne in 2006, the country had just decided to make this their official policy. They changed the name of the budget office to the Gross National Happiness Commission and eventually became known as one of the happiest places on Earth.

Despite the commission, the country’s reputation has suffered a bit in recent years, and in 2018, NPR reported that its citizens were feeling cynical about the high cost of living and their annual 300 question happiness survey. In 2016, they were ranked 56th on the Happy Planet Index, down from 13th in 2006. Despite everything going on in the world, though, there are still a few surefire ways to induce a little happiness, and baby pictures are near the top of that list. Over the weekend, the Instagram of Bhutan’s queen, Jetsun Pema, shared photos of the couple embracing their 10-week old baby in honour of her 30th birthday.

The photos were taken on Friday in the gardens at Lingkana Palace, the family’s home in the Bhutanese capital of Thimphu. The baby, whose name won’t be released until after an official religious naming ceremony, is now second in line for the throne; his older brother, Jigme Namgyel, also called the Dragon Prince, was born in 2016. In the photos, the Dragon Prince is doting upon his new younger brother in a way that recalls Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in his 2018 christening pictures.

When Jigme Khesar and Jetsun announced the birth of their youngest son on March 19, they noted that the pandemic made the moment a stressful one for many around the world, though Bhutan itself has thus far suffered no deaths due to coronavirus. “While this remains a very happy occasion for the Royal family and the nation and people of Bhutan, Their Majesties wish to remind all Bhutanese to be mindful, responsible and supportive to each other in the wake of the COVID-19 virus,” read a statement shared on Instagram. “Their Majesties have everyone whose lives have been affected by this global pandemic in their thoughts and prayers.”

This article originally appeared in Vanityfair.com