Gyanendra of Nepal facts for kids

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King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev

ज्ञानेन्द्र शाह

Gyanendra in 2012

King of Nepal

Reign

7 November 1950 – 7 January 1951

Coronation

7 November 1950

Predecessor

Tribhuvan

Successor

Tribhuvan

Prime ministers

See list

Mohan Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana

Reign

4 June 2001 – 28 May 2008

Coronation

4 June 2001

Predecessor

Dipendra

Successor

Monarchy abolished
(Girija Prasad Koirala as the acting head of state)

Prime ministers

See list

Girija Prasad Koirala
Sher Bahadur Deuba
Lokendra Bahadur Chand
Surya Bahadur Thapa

Born

7 July 1947 (age 78)
Narayanhiti Royal Palace, Kathmandu, Nepal

Spouse

Komal Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah

(m. 1970)

Issue

Paras Shah
Prerana Shah Singh

Regnal name
Shree Paanch Maharajadhiraj Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज ज्ञानेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाह देव)

House

Shah Dynasty

Father

Mahendra

Mother

Indra Rajya Lakshmi Devi

Religion

Hinduism

Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (born 7 July 1947) was the last King of Nepal. He ruled from 2001 to 2008. He was also briefly king as a child from 1950 to 1951. This happened when his grandfather, King Tribhuvan, went to India with his family for political reasons.

Gyanendra's second time as king began after a sad event in 2001 involving the royal family. His brother, King Birendra, had set up a constitutional monarchy. This meant the king shared power with an elected government. During Gyanendra's rule, there was a growing conflict called the Nepalese Civil War. This made it hard to hold elections.

After many delays, Gyanendra took direct control in February 2005. He said this was a temporary step to stop the conflict, as the elected governments had failed. But many people were against this. Because of widespread protests, he brought back the parliament in April 2006. Two years later, in 2008, the Constituent Assembly removed him from power. They declared Nepal a republic and ended the 240-year-old Shah dynasty.

Early Life and First Time as King
Becoming King Again
Second Time as King
Later Life
Images for kids
See Also

Early Life and First Time as King

US President Gerald Ford with Gyanendra Shah in 1976

Gyanendra was born in the old Narayanhiti Royal Palace in Kathmandu. He was the second son of Crown Prince Mahendra and his first wife, Crown Princess Indra. After he was born, a court astrologer told his father not to look at him. So, Gyanendra went to live with his grandmother.

In November 1950, his father and grandfather, King Tribhuvan, left for India. This left young Prince Gyanendra as the only male royal in Nepal. The Prime Minister, Mohan Shamsher, brought him back to Kathmandu. On 7 November 1950, Gyanendra was declared king. Coins were even made with his name on them. The prime minister gave 300,000 rupees each year for the king's expenses.

However, India opposed the rule of the Rana prime ministers. A deal was made in January 1951. Gyanendra's grandfather, King Tribhuvan, returned to Nepal and became king again. The world did not recognize the Rana government's actions to remove Tribhuvan and make Gyanendra king.

Gyanendra studied with his older brother, King Birendra, in India. In 1969, he finished his studies at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu. He helped with his brother King Birendra's coronation in 1975. Gyanendra is also very interested in protecting nature. He led the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation from 1982 until he became king again in 2001.

Gyanendra married his cousin, Komal Rajya Lakhsmi Devi, on 1 May 1970. They have two children:

Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev (born 30 December 1971).
Princess Prerana Rajya Lakshmi Devi Singh (born 20 February 1978).

Becoming King Again

In June 2001, a tragic event happened within the Nepalese royal family. This event led to the death of King Birendra and many other family members. Gyanendra's nephew, Dipendra, was also involved and later passed away.

After these sad events, Prince Gyanendra was named regent while his nephew was unwell. When King Dipendra died on 4 June 2001, Gyanendra became the King of Nepal.

Second Time as King

Early Years of His Rule

When Gyanendra first became king again, he wanted to have full control over the government. He said that political parties had failed to hold elections after the parliament was closed. In May 2002, he supported Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba when he dismissed the parliament. In October 2002, Gyanendra removed Deuba from his position. This was the first time he took more power.

Between 2002 and 2005, he chose and then removed three prime ministers. He said they failed to hold elections and talk with the Maoist rebels. Finally, he removed Deuba again and took complete control on 1 February 2005. He promised that things would return to normal within three years.

His older brother, King Birendra, had handled the constitutional monarchy carefully. As king, he played a smaller role in the government. So, Gyanendra's way of dealing with political parties caused a lot of criticism.

When Gyanendra took full control on 1 February 2005, he removed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's government. He said they failed to arrange elections and bring peace during the Nepalese Civil War.

Gyanendra promised that "peace and true democracy" would be back within three years. But during his direct rule, people who disagreed with him faced harsh treatment. International groups worried about the safety of journalists. This was because the king limited freedoms like freedom of the press and protection against being held without charge.

In April 2006, several political parties and the Maoist party held protests and strikes in Kathmandu. They were against King Gyanendra's direct rule. The government tried to control the situation with curfews, tear gas, and even live firearms. After 23 protesters died, King Gyanendra announced on 21 April 2006 that he would give power back to a new prime minister. This prime minister would be chosen by the political parties to bring back democracy.

Some party leaders did not accept this offer. They demanded that the King call a meeting to decide the future of the monarchy. An agreement was reached with the help of India. It was decided that the monarchy would have a place in the new constitution. Girija Prasad Koirala was made interim prime minister. On 24 April 2006, Gyanendra brought back the previous parliament in a TV speech.

End of Direct Rule

The agreement between the parties and Gyanendra, made with India's help, was not fully followed by the parties. Many believed that Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala felt that as long as Gyanendra had power, democracy in Nepal would be at risk. So, on 10 June 2006, the Parliament took away most of the king's powers, including his right to stop laws. This meant the king became a figurehead, with little real power.

All the powers of the 239-year-old monarchy were removed. Gyanendra became a king with no political authority. Prime Minister Koirala, who had supported the monarchy before, said in March 2007 that Gyanendra should step down. In June, Koirala again asked Gyanendra to give up his title for his grandson, Prince Hridayendra.

On 23 August 2007, Nepal's government took control of all the properties Gyanendra inherited from his brother. This included the Narayanhiti Royal Palace. This action did not affect the properties he owned before he became king.

Monarchy Ends

On 24 December 2007, it was announced that the monarchy would likely end in 2008. This was part of a peace deal with the Maoist rebels. A bill was passed to change the constitution and make Nepal a republic.

On 28 May 2008, the monarchy was officially removed from the constitution. Nepal became a republic. This decision was made by the Constituent Assembly. Gyanendra accepted this decision a few days later. He was asked to leave Narayanhiti. On 4 June, the government decided to give Nagarjuna Palace to Gyanendra as his new home.

Gyanendra left the Narayanhiti Palace on 11 June 2008 and moved to Nagarjuna Palace. His new home has ten buildings, including his main residence. After he left, the Narayanhiti Palace became a museum. His crown, royal scepter, and other royal jewels became government property. The royal family leaving the palace was a big moment. It showed the end of the Shah dynasty, which had united Nepal in the 1760s.

Transition to a Republic

In an interview on 9 April 2008, Gyanendra said he was not happy with the decision to end the monarchy. He felt it did not show what most people wanted. However, he agreed that people had the right to choose the future of the monarchy.

Gyanendra also said that law and order in Nepal were getting worse. He questioned if the government could rule the country. He mentioned a survey that showed 49% of people wanted the monarchy to continue in some way. He believed that the monarchy still meant a lot to many people.

In another interview, Gyanendra said he had stayed quiet to "let the peace process succeed." He claimed his actions in February 2005 were to bring peace and stability. He admitted his attempt was not successful, and that people were suffering because of it.

On 15 January 2007, a new parliament was set up, including the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). On 1 April 2007, a new government was formed with the Communist Party. On 28 December 2007, the Nepali parliament approved a bill. This bill stated that Nepal would become a federal democratic republic. This would happen after the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly.

Later Life

Gyanendra in 2012

In a 2012 interview, Gyanendra said he would return as King of Nepal, but did not give a specific time. He said he was not a politician. He also felt that a public vote was not needed to bring back the monarchy. He argued that since politicians had not asked the people to abolish the monarchy, they did not need to ask to bring it back.

Gyanendra also said that there was a written agreement between him and the politicians. This agreement stated that the constitutional monarchy would return when he gave up his powers and brought back the parliament he had dismissed.

On 8 July 2019, thousands of Nepalese celebrated the former king's birthday. They marched to his home. However, the former king did not meet the crowd. He does not celebrate his birthday publicly due to family losses. Visitors wrote birthday wishes in special registers.

In July 2019, the former king met with a political expert. They discussed the current political situation in Nepal. The expert later said that Gyanendra did not show interest in returning to the throne or politics. However, he did care deeply about the struggles of the Nepalese people.

A picture of the former king dancing at a private party caused some debate. Some politicians criticized it. But many citizens felt that criticizing the former king's private life was wrong.

Images for kids

King Mahendra Investiture Medal (1956)
King Birendra Investiture Medal (1975)
Commemorative Silver Jubilee Medal of King Birendra (1997)
Order of Nepal Pratap Bhaskara
Order of Ojaswi Rajanya
Order of Nepal Taradisha
Order of Tri Shakti Patta
Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu
King Jigme Singye Investiture Medal (Bhutan, 1974)
Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (France, 1983)
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1996)
Member of the Order of Korean Labour (North Korea, 1978)
Grand Gwanghwa Medal (South Korea, 1987)
Grand Cross of the Order of the House of Orange (Netherlands, 1967)
Commander of the Order of the Golden Ark (Netherlands, 1987)
Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Pakistan, 1970)
Member Special Class of the Order of King Abdulaziz (Saudi Arabia, 1983)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain, 1987)
Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of the White Elephant (Thailand, 1995)
Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (UK, 1986)
Sash of the Order of the Yugoslav Star 1st Rank (Yugoslavia, 1974)