Gyanendra of Nepal
Encyclopedia
Gyanendra Shah (born 7 July 1947) was the last King of Nepal
. During his life, he has held the title of the King twice: first between 1950 and 1951 as a child when his grandfather Tribhuvan
was forced into exile in India
with the rest of his family; and from 2001 to 2008, following the Nepalese royal massacre
.
King Gyanendra's second reign ended in 2008, when the monarchy
was abolished and the interim Federal Republic of Nepal
formed in its place. Gyanendra became a private citizen and was stripped of his royal status.
Unable to hold the election on time, the then Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba
, repeatedly asked for continuances with the King. Citing the failure of the Prime Minister to hold the election, King Gyanendra sacked the cabinet and assumed power and formed a new government. In February 2005, King Gyanendra took complete control of the government, dismissing the elected parliament (Parliament was dismissed in 2002 when King Gyanendra sacked the government of PM Sher Bahadur Deuba). He gave assurances that the country would return to normalcy and prosperity in three years.. Following opposition to his direct rule
he was forced to return power to the parliament in April 2006, which in turn reduced the King's status to that of a ceremonial monarch. He continued as such until 28 May 2008 when the Constituent Assembly controlled by the Maoists decided to depose him and declared Nepal an interim republic until a republican constitution was promulgated. The constitution drafting deadline expired on May 28, 2010 with no new constitution in place. There have been some calls from parties loyal to the monarchy for a referendum to decide on the need for a monarchy after the constitutional crisis brought about the resignation of the Maoist-led government.
and his wife Crown Princess Indra. After his birth, his father was told by a court astrologer not to look at his newborn son because it would bring him bad luck, so Gyanendra was sent to live with his grandmother.
In November 1950, during a political plot, both his father and his grandfather King Tribhuvan
, along with other royals, fled to India, leaving the young Prince Gyanendra as the only male member of the royal family in Nepal. He was brought back to the capital Kathmandu by the Prime Minister Mohan Shamsher
, who had him declared King on 7 November 1950. Gyanendra was not only crowned but coins were issued in his name. The Rana Prime Minister provided a three hundred thousand rupee annual budget as expenditure for the King. After opposition to the hereditary rule of the Rana
Prime Ministers from India, a deal was reached in January 1951, and his grandfather King Tribhuvan returned to Nepal and resumed the throne. The actions of the Rana regime to depose his grandfather and place Gyanendra on the throne was not internationally recognized.
He studied with his elder brother King Birendra
in St. Joseph's College, Darjeeling, India; in 1969, he graduated from Tribhuvan University
, Kathmandu.
Prince Gyanendra served as the chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Coronation of his brother King Birendra
in 1975. He is a keen conservationist
and served as Chairman of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (later known as National Trust for Nature Conservation
) from 1982 until his ascension to the throne in 2001.
Gyanendra married Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah
on 1 May 1970 in Kathmandu. They have two children.
, then speaker of the House of Representatives, carried out a week-long investigation. After interviewing more than 100 people—including eyewitnesses, palace officials, guards, and staff, they concluded that, indeed, Crown Prince Dipendra had carried out the massacre, but did not draw any further conclusions. As his nephew lay in a coma, Gyanendra was named regent; but following Dipendra's death on 4 June 2001, Gyanendra ascended the throne.
when he dismissed the parliament elected in 1999. In October 2002, he dismissed Deuba and consolidated his power for the first time. During the years 2002 to 2005 he chose and subsequently dismissed three prime ministers, finally dismissing Deuba for the second time and taking over as absolute ruler on 1 February 2005.
His brother King Birendra had negotiated a constitutional monarchy
during his rule in a delicate manner in which he, as King, played a minor role in government. Thus, King Gyanendra's confrontational approach with the established political parties was met with widespread censure.
When King Gyanendra took complete control for the second time, on 1 February 2005, he accused Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba
's government of failing to make arrangements for parliamentary elections and of being unable to restore peace in the country, then in the midst of a civil war led by Maoist insurgents.
King Gyanendra promised that "peace and effective democracy" would be restored within three years,
but the period of direct rule was accompanied by repression of dissent. International organizations expressed grave concerns about the safety of journalists, following the king's decision to restrict civil liberties, including freedom of the press, the constitutional protection against censorship and the right against preventive detention
Gyanendra countered, saying that "democracy and progress contradict one another" as a necessary step in restoring peace to the country.
In April 2006, the Maoists and Sister Organizations staged protests and strikes in Kathmandu against King Gyanendra's direct rule. The royal government exercised minimum restraint but responded by declaring a curfew to control the deteriorating situation, which was enforced with live firearms and tear gas. On 21 April 2006, King Gyanendra announced that he would yield executive authority to a new prime minister chosen by the political parties to oversee the return of democracy. Several party leaders rejected the offer and again demanded that the King call a council to determine the monarchy's future role in politics. An agreement was reached between the parties, King under the supervision of Indian ruling Congress including Dr. Karan Singh that monarchy would have a place in the new constitution. Girija Prasad Koirala
was appointed prime minister in the interim. Girija Prasad, as the main leader, had talks with the King and the agreement for monarchy's space. As such, on 24 April 2006, King Gyanendra reinstated the previous parliament in a televised address to the nation.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala
, who previously supported the continuation of the monarchy, said in March, 2007 that he thought the King should step down. In June, Koirala repeated his call for King Gyanendra to abdicate in favour of his grandson Prince Hridayendra
.
On 23 August 2007, Nepal's transitional government nationalised all the properties King Gyanendra inherited from his brother including the Narayanhity Royal Palace
. The move did not affect the properties he owned before his ascension to the throne.
elections. The interview was published in Japan's leading newspaper, Daily Yomiuri. Speaking to a select group of Japanese correspondents at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace on 4 February, King Gyanendra said, "(The decision) doesn't reflect the majority view of the people. This isn't democracy." He, however, conceded that the people do have the right to choose the fate of the monarchy.
The King also said the law and order in the country was deteriorating, questioning the interim government's ability to govern the country even after he had accepted the roadmap of the seven-party alliance. Citing the recent survey which showed 49 percent of respondents favoured the continuation of the monarchy in some form, King Gyanendra claimed, "A majority of the people find great meaning in the institution of the monarchy. In all clouds, there is a silver lining. Let us hope."
Gyanendra had broken his closely guarded silence in an interview with a Nepali pro-monarchist weekly paper in which he said he remained silent to "let the peace process succeed."
The King said, "Nepalese people themselves should speak out on where the nation is heading, on the direction it is taking and on why it is becoming chaotic." He claimed that his attempt on 1 February 2005 was for a good purpose—restoring peace and stability in the country. He said that his attempt wasn’t a success and so the countrymen are suffering at present.
In an interview taken with the King’s ‘advisor’, Bharat Keshar Singh, he claimed that the bill passed from the parliament was a bluff. Replying to the question raised regarding the King’s silence even after the bill was passed declaring the state a republic, he said that there was nothing for which the King had to respond. He claimed that the parliament which declared a republic was reinstated by the King himself and has no authority to dethrone the same King. He claimed that the King was examining the activities of the government and the parliament and was waiting for a suitable time for responding to them. He said that no people would accept the ‘bill’ unless decided by a referendum or elected members in the constituent assembly.
On 15 January 2007, the interim parliament was set up with CPN-M included, and on 1 April 2007, the interim government joined by CPN-M was formed. On 28 December 2007, the Nepali interim parliament approved a bill for the amendment to the constitution of 1990 promulgated on 15 January 2007, with a clause stating that Nepal will turn into a federal democratic republic, to be implemented by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly elections.
On 27 May 2008, the meeting decided to give the King fifteen days to vacate the palace, and decided that the first meeting would be held the next day at 11am (but was delayed due to the indecision among the leading parties on power-sharing and the nomination of 26 members of the Constituent Assembly).
On 28 May 2008, the monarchy was officially given no space in the amended constitution of 1990 and replaced with a republic by the Constituent Assembly instead of referendum. King Gyanendra accepted the decision in the following days. As he was required to leave Narayanhiti, he asked the government to make residential arrangements for him on 1 June, and on 4 June the government decided to give Nagarjuna Palace to Gyanendra.
King Gyanendra departed the Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu on 11 June 2008, moving into the Nagarjuna Palace. His new residence consists of ten buildings including the royal residence Hemanta Bas, three guest houses (Barsha Bas, Sharad Bas and Grishma Bas), one office secretariat and one staff quarters. Gyanendra and his family moved into the two-storey Hemanta Bas. Following his departure the Narayanhiti Palace was turned into a museum, while Gyanendra's diamond- and ruby-encrusted Crown and royal sceptre, along with all the other crown jewels and royal assets, became government property. The royal family's departure from the palace was reported as being a “major symbolic moment in the fall of the Shah dynasty
, which had unified Nepal in the 1760s.”
He was crowned two times. His official full style during his reign was: His Holy Majesty, King of the Lands of the Nepalese People and Knight of the Holy and Most Majestic Order of the Rose of Jordan.
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Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. During his life, he has held the title of the King twice: first between 1950 and 1951 as a child when his grandfather Tribhuvan
Tribhuvan of Nepal
King Tribhuhvan Bir Bikram Shah , King of Nepal was King of Nepal from 11 December 1911 until his death...
was forced into exile in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
with the rest of his family; and from 2001 to 2008, following the Nepalese royal massacre
Nepalese royal massacre
The Nepalese royal massacre occurred on Friday, June 1, 2001, at a house in the grounds of the Narayanhity Royal Palace, then the residence of the Nepalese monarchy, when the heir to the throne, Prince Dipendra killed nine members of his family and himself. However, it hasn't been proven that...
.
King Gyanendra's second reign ended in 2008, when the monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
was abolished and the interim Federal Republic of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
formed in its place. Gyanendra became a private citizen and was stripped of his royal status.
Unable to hold the election on time, the then Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba
Sher Bahadur Deuba
Sher Bahadur Deuba is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister. He is the second senior most leader of the Nepali Congress. He has twice been elected as the leader of parliamentary party of the Nepali Congress, thus enabling him to be elected twice as the Prime Minister of Nepal.He has...
, repeatedly asked for continuances with the King. Citing the failure of the Prime Minister to hold the election, King Gyanendra sacked the cabinet and assumed power and formed a new government. In February 2005, King Gyanendra took complete control of the government, dismissing the elected parliament (Parliament was dismissed in 2002 when King Gyanendra sacked the government of PM Sher Bahadur Deuba). He gave assurances that the country would return to normalcy and prosperity in three years.. Following opposition to his direct rule
2006 democracy movement in Nepal
The 2006 Democracy Movement is a name given to the political agitations against the direct and undemocratic rule of King Gyanendra of Nepal. The movement is also sometimes referred to as Jana Andolan-II , implying it being a continuation of the 1990 Jana Andolan.-Reinstitution of Parliament:In a...
he was forced to return power to the parliament in April 2006, which in turn reduced the King's status to that of a ceremonial monarch. He continued as such until 28 May 2008 when the Constituent Assembly controlled by the Maoists decided to depose him and declared Nepal an interim republic until a republican constitution was promulgated. The constitution drafting deadline expired on May 28, 2010 with no new constitution in place. There have been some calls from parties loyal to the monarchy for a referendum to decide on the need for a monarchy after the constitutional crisis brought about the resignation of the Maoist-led government.
Early life and first reign
Gyanendra was born in Narayanhity Royal Palace, Kathmandu, as the second son of Crown Prince MahendraMahendra of Nepal
Possibly no heir for the time period of 1911 through 1920. Previous Crown Prince: Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, from 1906 to 1911....
and his wife Crown Princess Indra. After his birth, his father was told by a court astrologer not to look at his newborn son because it would bring him bad luck, so Gyanendra was sent to live with his grandmother.
In November 1950, during a political plot, both his father and his grandfather King Tribhuvan
Tribhuvan of Nepal
King Tribhuhvan Bir Bikram Shah , King of Nepal was King of Nepal from 11 December 1911 until his death...
, along with other royals, fled to India, leaving the young Prince Gyanendra as the only male member of the royal family in Nepal. He was brought back to the capital Kathmandu by the Prime Minister Mohan Shamsher
Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
Field-Marshal Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, GCB, GCIE, GBE was the prime minister and foreign minister of Nepal from 30 April 1948 until 12 November 1951....
, who had him declared King on 7 November 1950. Gyanendra was not only crowned but coins were issued in his name. The Rana Prime Minister provided a three hundred thousand rupee annual budget as expenditure for the King. After opposition to the hereditary rule of the Rana
Rana dynasty
The Rana dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Nepal from 1846 until 1953, reducing the Shah monarch to a figurehead and making Prime Minister and other government positions hereditary...
Prime Ministers from India, a deal was reached in January 1951, and his grandfather King Tribhuvan returned to Nepal and resumed the throne. The actions of the Rana regime to depose his grandfather and place Gyanendra on the throne was not internationally recognized.
He studied with his elder brother King Birendra
Birendra of Nepal
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was a King of Nepal. The son of King Mahendra, whom he succeeded in 1972, he reigned until his death in the 2001 Nepalese royal massacre...
in St. Joseph's College, Darjeeling, India; in 1969, he graduated from Tribhuvan University
Tribhuvan University
Tribhuvan University [त्रिभुवन विश्वविध्यालय] is a public university located in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal. Established in 1959, TU is the oldest of the five universities in Nepal...
, Kathmandu.
Prince Gyanendra served as the chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Coronation of his brother King Birendra
Birendra of Nepal
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was a King of Nepal. The son of King Mahendra, whom he succeeded in 1972, he reigned until his death in the 2001 Nepalese royal massacre...
in 1975. He is a keen conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
and served as Chairman of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (later known as National Trust for Nature Conservation
National Trust for Nature Conservation
The National Trust for Nature Conservation previously known as King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation is a Nepalese non-governmental organization working in the field of nature conservation.It was established in 1982 as an autonomous non profit organization by legislative law of Nepal...
) from 1982 until his ascension to the throne in 2001.
Gyanendra married Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah
Queen Komal of Nepal
Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah is the Queen Consort of King Gyanendra of Nepal. She was the last Queen Consort of Nepal before the Monarchy was abolished on 28 May 2008.-Life:...
on 1 May 1970 in Kathmandu. They have two children.
- Prince Paras Shah of NepalParas, Crown Prince of NepalParas Bir Bikram Shah Dev was the heir-apparent to the throne of Nepal from 2001 until the monarchy was abolished by the Interim Constituent Assembly in 2008 following Constituent Assembly elections.-Early life:...
(born 30 December 1971) - Princess Prerana Singh of Nepal (born 20 February 1978).
Succession
The events surrounding the Royal Massacre on 1 June 2001 have proved very controversial in the country. A two-man investigation team appointed by Gyanendra, and made up of Keshav Prasad Upadhaya, then Supreme Court Chief Justice, and Taranath RanabhatTaranath Ranabhat
Taranath Ranabhat is a Nepalese politician. He was elected to the Pratinidhi Sabha in the 1999 election on behalf of the Nepali Congress. Ranabhat served as its chairman from the same year.-References:...
, then speaker of the House of Representatives, carried out a week-long investigation. After interviewing more than 100 people—including eyewitnesses, palace officials, guards, and staff, they concluded that, indeed, Crown Prince Dipendra had carried out the massacre, but did not draw any further conclusions. As his nephew lay in a coma, Gyanendra was named regent; but following Dipendra's death on 4 June 2001, Gyanendra ascended the throne.
Early reign
During his early years on the throne, King Gyanendra sought to exercise full control over the government because of the failure of all parties. In May 2002, he supported the popularly-elected Prime Minister Sher Bahadur DeubaSher Bahadur Deuba
Sher Bahadur Deuba is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister. He is the second senior most leader of the Nepali Congress. He has twice been elected as the leader of parliamentary party of the Nepali Congress, thus enabling him to be elected twice as the Prime Minister of Nepal.He has...
when he dismissed the parliament elected in 1999. In October 2002, he dismissed Deuba and consolidated his power for the first time. During the years 2002 to 2005 he chose and subsequently dismissed three prime ministers, finally dismissing Deuba for the second time and taking over as absolute ruler on 1 February 2005.
His brother King Birendra had negotiated a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
during his rule in a delicate manner in which he, as King, played a minor role in government. Thus, King Gyanendra's confrontational approach with the established political parties was met with widespread censure.
When King Gyanendra took complete control for the second time, on 1 February 2005, he accused Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba
Sher Bahadur Deuba
Sher Bahadur Deuba is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister. He is the second senior most leader of the Nepali Congress. He has twice been elected as the leader of parliamentary party of the Nepali Congress, thus enabling him to be elected twice as the Prime Minister of Nepal.He has...
's government of failing to make arrangements for parliamentary elections and of being unable to restore peace in the country, then in the midst of a civil war led by Maoist insurgents.
King Gyanendra promised that "peace and effective democracy" would be restored within three years,
but the period of direct rule was accompanied by repression of dissent. International organizations expressed grave concerns about the safety of journalists, following the king's decision to restrict civil liberties, including freedom of the press, the constitutional protection against censorship and the right against preventive detention
Gyanendra countered, saying that "democracy and progress contradict one another" as a necessary step in restoring peace to the country.
In April 2006, the Maoists and Sister Organizations staged protests and strikes in Kathmandu against King Gyanendra's direct rule. The royal government exercised minimum restraint but responded by declaring a curfew to control the deteriorating situation, which was enforced with live firearms and tear gas. On 21 April 2006, King Gyanendra announced that he would yield executive authority to a new prime minister chosen by the political parties to oversee the return of democracy. Several party leaders rejected the offer and again demanded that the King call a council to determine the monarchy's future role in politics. An agreement was reached between the parties, King under the supervision of Indian ruling Congress including Dr. Karan Singh that monarchy would have a place in the new constitution. Girija Prasad Koirala
Girija Prasad Koirala
Girija Prasad Koirala was a Nepalese politician and the President of the Nepali Congress, a major political party. He was Prime Minister of Nepal for four times, serving from 1991 to 1994, 1998 to 1999, 2000 to 2001, and from 2006 to 2008; he was also Acting Head of State from January 2007 to July...
was appointed prime minister in the interim. Girija Prasad, as the main leader, had talks with the King and the agreement for monarchy's space. As such, on 24 April 2006, King Gyanendra reinstated the previous parliament in a televised address to the nation.
End of direct rule
Mysteriously, the agreement between the parties and King under Indian supervision was not honored by the parties. It is widely believed that the then Prime Minister Girija Prasad saw an opportunity to become the first president of Nepal by declaring Nepal a republic state. On 10 June 2006, the Parliament scrapped the major powers of the King, including his right to veto laws. This ended the idea of a "King in Parliament", and he was reduced to a figurehead, though for a time he continued to offer felicitations and to receive diplomats. According to Article 167 of the constitution, all executive powers as well as those enjoyed by the King in the previous Constitution were now vested in the prime minister. All powers of the 239-year-old monarchy were stripped, making King Gyanendra a civilian king.Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala
Girija Prasad Koirala
Girija Prasad Koirala was a Nepalese politician and the President of the Nepali Congress, a major political party. He was Prime Minister of Nepal for four times, serving from 1991 to 1994, 1998 to 1999, 2000 to 2001, and from 2006 to 2008; he was also Acting Head of State from January 2007 to July...
, who previously supported the continuation of the monarchy, said in March, 2007 that he thought the King should step down. In June, Koirala repeated his call for King Gyanendra to abdicate in favour of his grandson Prince Hridayendra
Prince Hridayendra of Nepal
Prince Hridayendra of Nepal is a member of the Nepalese Royal Family and is second in line to the throne. The monarchy was officially suspended on 28 May 2008...
.
On 23 August 2007, Nepal's transitional government nationalised all the properties King Gyanendra inherited from his brother including the Narayanhity Royal Palace
Narayanhity Royal Palace
The Narayanhiti Palace Museum, or Narayanhiti Durbar , is a palace in Kathmandu, Nepal which long served as a primary residence for the country's monarchs. Narayanhiti, in Narayanhiti Palace, is made up of two words ‘narayan’ and ‘hiti’...
. The move did not affect the properties he owned before his ascension to the throne.
Transition to interim republic
King Gyanendra, in an interview with foreign reporters, expressed dissatisfaction over the decision made by the interim parliament to abolish the monarchy after the 10 April Constituent AssemblyConstituent assembly
A constituent assembly is a body composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitution...
elections. The interview was published in Japan's leading newspaper, Daily Yomiuri. Speaking to a select group of Japanese correspondents at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace on 4 February, King Gyanendra said, "(The decision) doesn't reflect the majority view of the people. This isn't democracy." He, however, conceded that the people do have the right to choose the fate of the monarchy.
The King also said the law and order in the country was deteriorating, questioning the interim government's ability to govern the country even after he had accepted the roadmap of the seven-party alliance. Citing the recent survey which showed 49 percent of respondents favoured the continuation of the monarchy in some form, King Gyanendra claimed, "A majority of the people find great meaning in the institution of the monarchy. In all clouds, there is a silver lining. Let us hope."
Gyanendra had broken his closely guarded silence in an interview with a Nepali pro-monarchist weekly paper in which he said he remained silent to "let the peace process succeed."
The King said, "Nepalese people themselves should speak out on where the nation is heading, on the direction it is taking and on why it is becoming chaotic." He claimed that his attempt on 1 February 2005 was for a good purpose—restoring peace and stability in the country. He said that his attempt wasn’t a success and so the countrymen are suffering at present.
In an interview taken with the King’s ‘advisor’, Bharat Keshar Singh, he claimed that the bill passed from the parliament was a bluff. Replying to the question raised regarding the King’s silence even after the bill was passed declaring the state a republic, he said that there was nothing for which the King had to respond. He claimed that the parliament which declared a republic was reinstated by the King himself and has no authority to dethrone the same King. He claimed that the King was examining the activities of the government and the parliament and was waiting for a suitable time for responding to them. He said that no people would accept the ‘bill’ unless decided by a referendum or elected members in the constituent assembly.
On 15 January 2007, the interim parliament was set up with CPN-M included, and on 1 April 2007, the interim government joined by CPN-M was formed. On 28 December 2007, the Nepali interim parliament approved a bill for the amendment to the constitution of 1990 promulgated on 15 January 2007, with a clause stating that Nepal will turn into a federal democratic republic, to be implemented by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly elections.
Interim Suspension of the monarchy
It was announced on 24 December 2007, that the monarchy would probably be suspended in 2008, following the approval, as part of a peace deal with Maoist rebels, of the Nepalese Parliament in favour of a bill that would see the constitution amended so as to make Nepal a republic.On 27 May 2008, the meeting decided to give the King fifteen days to vacate the palace, and decided that the first meeting would be held the next day at 11am (but was delayed due to the indecision among the leading parties on power-sharing and the nomination of 26 members of the Constituent Assembly).
On 28 May 2008, the monarchy was officially given no space in the amended constitution of 1990 and replaced with a republic by the Constituent Assembly instead of referendum. King Gyanendra accepted the decision in the following days. As he was required to leave Narayanhiti, he asked the government to make residential arrangements for him on 1 June, and on 4 June the government decided to give Nagarjuna Palace to Gyanendra.
King Gyanendra departed the Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu on 11 June 2008, moving into the Nagarjuna Palace. His new residence consists of ten buildings including the royal residence Hemanta Bas, three guest houses (Barsha Bas, Sharad Bas and Grishma Bas), one office secretariat and one staff quarters. Gyanendra and his family moved into the two-storey Hemanta Bas. Following his departure the Narayanhiti Palace was turned into a museum, while Gyanendra's diamond- and ruby-encrusted Crown and royal sceptre, along with all the other crown jewels and royal assets, became government property. The royal family's departure from the palace was reported as being a “major symbolic moment in the fall of the Shah dynasty
Shah dynasty
The Shah dynasty was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Nepal.-The Rajput Lineage :The former royal family of Nepal claims descent from the Parmar Rajput dynasty of the Narsinghgarh state in Malwa . The famous kings of the Malwa region were Raja Bhrathari, Samrat Vikramaditya, and Raja Bhoj....
, which had unified Nepal in the 1760s.”
Titles
- His Royal Highness Prince Gyanendra of Nepal (1947–1950, 1951–2001)
- His Majesty The King of Nepal (1950–1951, 2001–2008)
- His Majesty King Gyanendra of Nepal (titular, 2008–present)
He was crowned two times. His official full style during his reign was: His Holy Majesty, King of the Lands of the Nepalese People and Knight of the Holy and Most Majestic Order of the Rose of Jordan.
Honours
- Grand Cross of the Order of the House of Orange (The Netherlands), 1967
- Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Exalted Order of the White ElephantOrder of the White ElephantThe Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant is the most awarded order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Siam.The Order consists of eight classes:...
(Thailand), 1979 - Grand Cross of the National Order of MeritOrdre National du MériteThe Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
(France), 1983 - Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George (United Kingdom), 1986
- Grand Cross of Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain), 1987
External links
- Unofficial translation of the commission report on the palace incident
- King of Nepal is stoned by crowd. BBC 16 February 2007
- archived biography at archive.org
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