Dipendra of Nepal

Dipendra
Shri Panch Maharajadhiraja
Dipendra in 2001
King of Nepal
Reign1 June – 4 June 2001
Acclamation1 June 2001
PredecessorBirendra
SuccessorGyanendra
RegentPrince Gyanendra
Prime MinisterGirija Prasad Koirala
Born(1971-06-27)27 June 1971
Narayanhiti Palace, Kingdom of Nepal
Died4 June 2001(2001-06-04) (aged 29)
Kathmandu, Kingdom of Nepal
Cause of death
Self-inflicted gunshot wound
Regnal name
Nepali: श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज दीपेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव
Shri Panch Maharajadhiraja Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva
DynastyShah
FatherKing Birendra
MotherQueen Aishwarya
ReligionHinduism

Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (27 June 1971 – 4 June 2001), was King of Nepal for three days, from 1 June 2001 to 4 June 2001. For the duration of his brief reign, he was in a coma after fatally shooting his parents King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, other members of the royal family, and ultimately himself, in an event known as the Nepalese royal massacre. Upon Dipendra's death, his paternal uncle Gyanendra succeeded as king for his second reign.

Early life

Dipendra was born on 27 June 1971 at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace as the eldest child of Birendra, the Crown Prince of Nepal, and Princess Aishwarya.

Education

Dipendra received his early education from Kanti Ishwori High School, Kathmandu then went to Budhanilkantha School. Later, he attended Eton College in the United Kingdom. After Eton, he attended Tri Chandra College, which is affiliated with Tribhuvan University in Nepal and later joined the Nepalese Military Academy in Kharipati, Bhaktapur. He studied Geography at Tribhuvan University for his master's degree and was an all-Nepal topper with a gold medal, and a doctorate student at the same university. He received additional military training from the Academy of Royal Nepalese Gurkha Army, and pilot training from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

Interests

Dipendra was interested in the fields of social services and sports. He attended various national and international sports ceremonies where Nepalese players participated. Dipendra became a karateka while studying in the United Kingdom and received a black belt at around the age of 20. He was a patron of the National Sports Council and the Nepal Scouts. Dipendra also wrote articles published in Nepalese periodicals, often on the motifs of nationhood and nationality.

In March 1993, during a visit to Nepal by Diana, Princess of Wales, he ordered police to close down the roads so that he could give her a late-night tour of Kathmandu in his sports car.

Nepalese royal massacre

On 1 June 2001, Dipendra opened fire at a party being held inside a house on the grounds of the Narayanhiti Royal Palace, the residence of the Nepalese monarchy. He shot and killed his father, King Birendra; his mother, Queen Aishwarya; his younger brother, Prince Nirajan; his younger sister, Princess Shruti; his uncle, Prince Dhirendra; his aunts, Princess Shanti and Princess Sharada; his cousin, Princess Jayanti; and his uncle-in-law, Kumar Khadga Bikram Shah before shooting himself in the head. As his father was dead, he instantly succeeded him as King of Nepal while comatose from his self-inflicted head wound.

According to testimony to the official inquiry committee, the Crown Prince reportedly instructed his aide-de-camp Gajendra Bohara to fetch a cigarette containing hashish and an unidentified black substance, which was handed to Prince Paras. Committee testimony indicated that the Crown Prince had been preparing such cigarettes for about a year. The account was corroborated by other palace staff, including Ram Krishna KC, Gajendra Bohara and Raju Karki, who also testified before the committee.

His exact motives for killing his family remain unknown, but there are various theories. A leading theory is Dipendra wished to marry Devyani Rana, the daughter of an Indian princess, whom he had met in England. Due to her mother belonging to a distant culture and her father's controversial political alliances, Dipendra's parents objected, and said he would have to relinquish his right to succeed as king to marry her. Other theories allege that Dipendra was unhappy with the country's shift from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy, or that too much power had been given away following the 1990 People's Movement.

Portrayals

Honours

National honours
Foreign honours

See also