Queen Komal of Nepal explained

Komal
Succession:Queen consort of Nepal
Reign:4 June 2001 – 28 May 2008
Full Name:Komal Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah
Consort:yes
Coronation:4 June 2001
Issue:Paras, Crown Prince of Nepal
Princess Prerana
Spouse:Gyanendra of Nepal
Birth Name:Komal Rana
Birth Date:18 February 1951
Birth Place:Bagmati, Kathmandu, Nepal
Father:Kendra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana
Mother:Shree Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah
Religion:Hinduism

Komal (Nepali: कोमल राज्य लक्ष्मी देवी शाह) (born 18 February 1951) is a member of the Nepalese royal family who was the last Queen of Nepal as the wife of King Gyanendra of Nepal until the monarchy was abolished on 28 May 2008. She is also known by the name Komal Shah.

Life

Komal was born in Bagmati, Kathmandu into the Rana family, the daughter of Kendra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana (1927–1982) and his wife Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah (1928–2005). Komal's older sister Aishwarya was married to King Birendra of Nepal, the brother of Gyanendra. Aishwarya was killed in the palace massacre on 1 June 2001. Komal sustained bullet injuries as a result of the palace shooting and spent four weeks recovering in hospital.[1]

She was educated at St Mary's School, Jawalakhel, St Helen's Convent, Kurseong, India and Kalanidhi Sangeet Mahavidhyalaya, Kathmandu.

As a result of the 2001 massacre, Komal's husband Gyanendra succeeded to the throne following the deaths of King Birendra, Crown Prince Dipendra (who had briefly succeeded him), and Prince Nirajan. Komal thus became Queen of Nepal.

Komal's younger sister Prekshya also married into the Shah dynasty marrying Gyanendra and Birendra's brother Prince Dhirendra who was also killed in the palace massacre. They had divorced in 1991. Prekshya was killed in a helicopter crash on 12 November 2001.

Queen Komal married her second cousin Prince Gyanendra of Nepal on 1 May 1970 in Kathmandu. They have two children:

  1. Paras Shah (born on 30 December 1971 in Kathmandu)
  2. Prerana Shah Singh (born on 20 February 1978 in Kathmandu).

Abolition of the monarchy

The Nepalese Parliament voted on 28 December 2007 as part of a peace deal with former Maoist rebels, 270-3 in favour of abolishing the monarchy.[2]

On 28 May 2008, the monarchy was officially abolished, replaced by a secular federal republic.[3]

Patronages

Honours

National

Foreign

Notes and References

  1. News: Nepal queen leaves hospital. 27 June 2001. news.bbc.co.uk.
  2. News: Vote to abolish Nepal's monarchy . 28 December 2007 . news.bbc.co.uk.
  3. News: Nepal votes to abolish monarchy . 28 May 2008 . news.bbc.co.uk.
  4. Web site: Bilateral Relations . 14 October 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151018050841/http://www.ambafrance-np.org/Bilateral-relations,651 . 18 October 2015 . dead .
  5. Web site: Boletín Oficial del Estado. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407092301/http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1987/11/17/pdfs/A34218-34218.pdf. dead. 7 April 2014.