Cooke, Hope, 1940-

Variant names

Dates:

Birth 1940-06-24

Death 2013-04-01

Biographical notes:

Hope Cooke (born June 24, 1940) was the Gyalmo (Queen Consort) of the 12th Chogyal (King) of Sikkim, Palden Thondup Namgyal. Their wedding took place in March 1963. She was termed Her Highness The Crown Princess of Sikkim and became the Gyalmo of Sikkim at Palden Thondup Namgyal's coronation in 1965.

Palden Thondup Namgyal eventually was the last king of Sikkim as a protectorate state under India. By 1973 Sikkim was merged into India. Five months after the takeover of Sikkim had begun, Cooke returned to the United States with her two children and stepdaughter to enroll them in schools in New York City. Cooke and her husband divorced in 1980; Namgyal died of cancer in 1982.