Youngest king to be coronated

High in the Himalayas, in an ancient ceremony, a young, handsome king will be anointed this week, wearing the Raven Crown of Bhutan and taking his place at the head of the world's youngest democracy.

With his formal coronation tomorrow, the 28-year-old Oxford-educated Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck becomes the world's youngest reigning monarch and perhaps one of Asia's most eligible bachelors.

Three days of national celebration will follow in this tiny nation sandwiched between India and China, masked dances and ancient rituals ironically marking another stage in Bhutan's gradual emergence into the modern world.