King of Nepal
{{for|a list|List of monarchs of Nepal}}
{{Short description|Head of state of Nepal from 1768 to 2008}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox former monarchy
| royal_title = King
| native_name = Mahārājdhirāja
| realm = Nepal
| coatofarms = Coat of arms of Nepal (1962–2008).svg
| coatofarmssize = 120px
| coatofarmscaption = Royal coat of arms (before 2006)
| image = Gyanendra 01.jpg
| caption = Last to reign
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah
4 June 2001 — 28 May 2008
| first_monarch = Prithvi Narayan Shah
| last_monarch = Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah
| style = His Majesty
| residence = Narayanhiti Palace, Kathmandu
| appointer = Hereditary
| began = 25 September 1768
| ended = 28 May 2008
| pretender = Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah
}}
The King of Nepal (traditionally known as the Mahārājdhirāja i.e. Great King of Kings; {{langx|ne|महाराजधिराज}}) was Nepal's head of state and monarch from 1768 to 2008. He served as the head of the Nepalese monarchy—Shah Dynasty. The monarchy was abolished on 28 May 2008 by the 1st Constituent Assembly.{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7424302.stm |title=Nepal votes to abolish monarchy |date=28 May 2008 |access-date=2009-07-20 |archive-date=2017-01-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107130737/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7424302.stm |url-status=live }} The subnational monarchies in Mustang, Bajhang, Salyan, and Jajarkot were abolished in October of the same year.{{Cite web |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/08/content_10167598.htm |title=Abolishment of subnational monarchies |access-date=2009-07-20 |archive-date=2009-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609135318/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/08/content_10167598.htm |url-status=dead }}
History
{{further|History of Nepal|Kingdom of Nepal}}
The Kingdom of Nepal was founded on 25 September 1768 by Prithvi Narayan Shah, a Gorkha king who succeeded in unifying the kingdoms of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur into a single state under his Shah dynasty. The Kingdom of Nepal was de jure an absolute monarchy for most of its history. However, from 1846 until the 1951 revolution, the country was de facto ruled by the hereditary prime ministers from the Rana dynasty, reducing the role of the Shah monarch to that of a figurehead. In November 1990, after the Jana Andolan movement, a new constitution was adopted and the country became a constitutional monarchy.
=Nepalese Civil War=
On 13 February 1996, the Nepalese Civil War was launched by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), with the aim of overthrowing the kingdom and establishing a "people's republic".
==Nepalese royal massacre==
{{main|Nepalese royal massacre}}
On 1 June 2001, nine members of the royal family, including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, were killed in a mass shooting at the royal residence. Crown Prince Dipendra was implicated in an official investigation. There is a huge controversy concerning this, as there was no practical investigation on that which proves his involvement. Many Nepali people believe that there might be many other people involved in the massacre.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2011-06-01/why-nepals-crown-prince-went-killing-spree |title=Why Nepal's Crown Prince Went on a Killing Spree | Public Radio International |date=15 August 2013 |access-date=2020-08-23 |archive-date=2020-02-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212144723/https://www.pri.org/stories/2011-06-01/why-nepals-crown-prince-went-killing-spree |url-status=live }} Immediately after the massacre, Dipendra was proclaimed king while in a coma, but he died on 4 June 2001, after a three-day reign.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1366170.stm|title=Nepal mourns slain king|publisher=BBC News|date=2 June 2001|access-date=31 May 2009|archive-date=7 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107091236/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1366170.stm|url-status=live}} His uncle, Prince Gyanendra, was appointed regent for the three days, then ascended the throne himself after Dipendra died.
==Post-massacre==
On 1 February 2005, as the security situation deteriorated in the civil war, King Gyanendra staged a coup d'état, declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and assumed direct control over the country.{{cite news |author=Staff writer |date=2005-02-01 |title=Nepal's king declares emergency |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4224855.stm |url-status=live |access-date=2012-10-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530015823/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4224855.stm |archive-date=2012-05-30}} On 24 April 2006, after the Loktantra Andolan movement, the king agreed to give up absolute power and to reinstate the dissolved House of Representatives.{{cite news |last=Sengupta |first=Somini |date=25 April 2006 |title=In a Retreat, Nepal's King Says He Will Reinstate Parliament |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/25/world/asia/25nepal.html?hp&ex=1146024000&en=8fe71bf94d2a73c8&ei=5094&partner=homepage |url-status=live |access-date=22 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222105442/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/25/world/asia/25nepal.html?hp&ex=1146024000&en=8fe71bf94d2a73c8&ei=5094&partner=homepage |archive-date=22 December 2017}}{{cite news |date=24 April 2006 |title=Full text: King Gyanendra's speech |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4940876.stm |url-status=live |access-date=29 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061222061026/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4940876.stm |archive-date=22 December 2006}} On 21 November 2006, the civil war was ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord.{{cite news |date=21 November 2006 |title=Peace deal ends Nepal's civil war |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6169746.stm |url-status=live |access-date=22 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123181928/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6169746.stm |archive-date=23 November 2020}} On 15 January 2007, the King was suspended from exercising his duties by the newly formed interim legislature. Finally, on 28 May 2008, the kingdom was officially abolished by the 1st Constituent Assembly and the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal was declared.{{Cite news |title=Nepal votes to abolish monarchy |date=28 May 2008 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7424302.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107130737/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7424302.stm |archive-date=2017-01-07 |access-date=2009-07-20}} The subnational monarchies in Mustang, Bajhang, Salyan, and Jajarkot were also abolished in October 2008.{{Cite web |title=Abolishment of subnational monarchies |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/08/content_10167598.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609135318/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/08/content_10167598.htm |archive-date=2009-06-09 |access-date=2009-07-20}}
Royal standard and crown
File:Royal standard of Nepal (circa 1928).svg|Royal Standard of Nepal ({{Circa|1928}})
File:Royal standard of Nepal (circa 1969).svg|Royal Standard of Nepal ({{Circa|1969}})
File:Royal standard of Nepal.svg|Royal Standard of Nepal ({{Circa|2001}})
File:Crown of Kingdom of Nepal "श्रीपेच".jpg|Royal Crown of Nepal, Shripech