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A New York socialite came to Sikkim, a tiny Himalayan kingdom, on a summer trip and fell in love with the future Chogyal, or Dharma King of Sikkim, Palden Thondup Namgyal. It was 1959, and the woman was 19-year-old Hope Cooke. Namgyal, who was a prince at the time, eventually proposed to her, and their engagement was announced in 1961. She would go on to become the second wife of the king, who was then 36, a widower and the father of three children from his earlier marriage.