Hope Cooke

Who is Hope Cooke?

Hope Cooke is an American woman who was the "Gyalmo" of the 12th Chogyal of Sikkim. Their wedding took place in March 1963.

Palden Thondup Namgyal was to be the last king of Sikkim as a protectorate state under India. By 1973, the country—and their marriage—were crumbling; soon Sikkim was annexed by India. Five months after the violent takeover of Sikkim had begun, Cooke returned to the USA with her two birth children and step-daughter to put them in schools in New York City. Cooke and her husband divorced in 1980 and Namgyal died of cancer in 1982. Cooke wrote an autobiography, Time Change and began a career as a lecturer, book critic and magazine contributor, later becoming an urban historian. In her new life as a student of New York City, Cooke published Seeing New York; worked as a newspaper columnist; taught at Yale University, Sarah Lawrence, and Birchwathen, a New York City independent school. During this time she ran the Public History walking program at the Museum of the City of New York and lectured widely on urban history and East-West cultural ties.