Queen Ratna of Nepal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ratna |
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Queen Ratna in 1967
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| Queen consort of Nepal | |||||
| Tenure | 13 March 1955 – 31 January 1972 | ||||
| Coronation | 2 May 1956 | ||||
| Born | 19 August 1928 Hari Bhawan, Bagmati, Kathmandu, Nepal |
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| House | Rana dynasty (by birth) Shah dynasty (by marriage) |
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| Father | Hari Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana | ||||
| Mother | Megha Kumari Rajya Lakshmi | ||||
| Religion | Hinduism | ||||
Ratna Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah was a very important member of the royal family of Nepal. She was born on August 19, 1928. From 1955 to 1972, she was the queen consort of Nepal. This means she was the wife of the ruling king. After her husband passed away, she became the queen dowager until 2008. In 2008, the royal family no longer held their titles and special roles. Queen Ratna was the second wife of King Mahendra (1920–1972). She came from the important Rana family. Her father was Field Marshal Hari Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, and her mother was Megha Kumari Rajya Lakshmi.
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Queen Ratna's Life Story
Queen Ratna's older sister, Crown Princess Indra, was first married to Crown Prince Mahendra in 1940. Sadly, Indra passed away in 1950. Two years later, Ratna married Mahendra. Mahendra already had three sons and three daughters from his first marriage.
Ratna became the Queen of Nepal in 1955. This happened after Mahendra's father, King Tribhuvan, died. King Mahendra and Queen Ratna did not have any children together.
In 1972, King Mahendra had a sudden heart attack while he was hunting. He passed away, and his oldest son, Prince Birendra, became the new king.
Surviving a Tragic Event
On June 1, 2001, a very sad event happened at the royal palace. Many members of the royal family died. Queen Ratna was sitting with her sister-in-law, Princess Helen Shah, in another room. Because of this, they survived the tragedy.
The two women heard loud noises but did not think they were serious at first. A few minutes later, Prince Paras came and told them what had happened.
Changes for the Royal Family
The monarchy in Nepal ended in 2008. This happened after a special election. All members of the royal family had to leave the Narayanhiti Palace. However, Queen Ratna was allowed to stay.
King Gyanendra, who was her step-son and nephew, made sure she could live in Mahendra Manzil. This is a palace located within the Narayanhity Palace Museum area. The new government, however, took over many other palaces. These palaces had been built by her husband, King Mahendra, as gifts for her.
Power Supply Issues
On August 24, 2016, the electricity to Queen Ratna's home was cut off. This was because of a large unpaid electricity bill. The bill had grown over eight years, after other royal family members had left.
News reports said that Queen Ratna asked her step-son, former King Gyanendra, not to argue with the government about it. She felt it would reduce their family's dignity. Instead, she asked him to bring fuel for the diesel generators. These generators were used to provide backup power.
This situation caused a big public reaction. People gathered at Ratna Park, which was named after her. They protested against the new Energy Minister. Because of the public's anger, the government had to turn the power back on after 20 hours.
Recent Health Updates
On March 5, 2019, Queen Ratna was taken to Norvic Hospital. She had been coughing and had the flu for a week. A special team of five doctors looked after her. Her son, Gyanendra, and daughter-in-law, Queen Komal, visited her and brought homemade food.
Later, on September 1, 2022, she had eye surgery at Sudrishti Eye Clinic. This was to fix a problem with her vision.
Places and Things Named After Queen Ratna
Many places, buildings, and honors were created to show respect for Queen Ratna. After the monarchy ended, some monuments named after her were renamed. However, Ratna Park, which was named after the queen, is still very popular.
- Ratna Park
- Ratna Highway
- Queen of Nepal: a Russian folk song
- Tsaritsa Nepala (Queen of Nepal): a Russian song about Nepal and the queen
- Ratna Statue in Ratna Park
- Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus
Honours and Awards
Queen Ratna received many special awards and honours throughout her life. These awards came from Nepal and from other countries. They showed her importance and the respect people had for her.
Honours from Nepal
Nepal Decoration of Honour (1966)
Order of the Benevolent Ruler, 1st class (1964)
Tribhuvan Order of the Footprint of Democracy, 1st class (1956)
Order of the Footprint of Nepal, 1st class (1962)
Order of the Rama Mantra Power, 1st class- Ati Suvikhyata Sewalankar (Renowned Service Medal)
King Mahendra Investiture Medal (1956)
King Birendra Investiture Medal (1975)
Commemorative Silver Jubilee Medal of King Birendra (1997)
King Gyanendra Investiture Medal (2001)
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Honours from Other Countries
- Japan:
Paulwonia Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown
- Germany:
Grand Cross Special Issue of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Netherlands:
Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (1967)
- Laos:
Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol (1970)
- Pakistan:
Nishan-e-Imtiaz (1970)
- Philippines:
Golden Heart Medal 1st Class (1971)
- Pahlavi dynasty:
Commemorative Medal of the 2500th Anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire (1971)
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See also
- Ratna Rajya Lakshmi Campus
- Ratna Park
