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Nepal's King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, Prince Niranjan and Princess Shruti, along with eight others, were shot dead by Crown Prince Dipendra, before he killed himself over a dispute about his marriage, in Kathmandu on Friday night.
The tragedy occurred at the Narayan Hity palace during the regular Friday dinner, when 29-year-old Dipendra opened fire on his immediate family, following arguments over his choice of bride, which was reportedly opposed by the queen.
His brother Prince Niranjan, 22, and sister, Princess Shruti, 25, a mother of two children, were among those killed in the massacre, that occurred at around 2300 hours local time, sources close to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said. Also killed were King Birendra's sisters Princesses Sharda and Shanti and his brother-in-law Kumar Khadga. Another member of the family, Prince Dhirendra, was critically wounded. As one commentator pointed out, it was the worst royal massacre since the Communists killed the Tsar and his family in November 1917.
With all his children killed, King Birendra will be succeeded by his younger brother Prince Gyanendra, who was out of Kathmandu when tragedy struck.
Prince Gyanendra is expected to be flown on Saturday, to the capital, from the winter palace in Pokhra, to assume the throne.
The state council standing committee, which acts as a royal advisory body, convened an emergency session to assess the situation and to begin the process of anointing a successor.
A formal announcement of the tragedy is likely to be made only after Prince Gyanendra takes over the reins, according to royal family protocol.
Many residents of Kathmandu, who woke up to the shocking news, collected near the palace, which had been cordoned off by the police.
According to some newspaper reports, astrologers had advised the royal family that Dipendra, who had been educated at Eton, should not be allowed to marry or have children until 35.
The seers had apparently warned that if the directive was not followed, the king would die.
King Birendra, 55, had ruled as an absolute monarch from 1972 until 1990, when his role became constitutional, following a popular people's uprising. He ascended the throne on January 31, 1972, succeeding his father King Mahendra.
Born on December 28, 1945 at the same palace where he was assassinated, Birendra was also educated at Eton, besides the University of Tokyo and Harvard University. He married Queen Aishwarya in February 1970.
The massacre comes at a time of political woes in Nepal, as Opposition parties have been demanding Koirala's resignation for his government's alleged role in a bribery scandal and for not quelling a Maoist insurgency.
Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Paudel confirmed that Dipendra was responsible for the massacre, ruling out any involvement of Maoist rebels who have been waging an insurgency since 1996, seeking to overthrow the monarchy.
"This is the most unfortunate and shocking event," Paudel said.
Prince Gyanendra, 54, has had a chequered career, setting up a popular trekking route and leading conservation efforts on one hand, while embarrassing the royal family with unpaid utility bills and a controversial son on the other hand.
He was king for about two months in 1950-51, when his father then crown prince Mahendra, grandfather King Tribhuban and other members of the royal family including then prince Birendra fled to India to escape political turmoil at home.
OBITUARY King Birendra: A visionary and friend of India: PTI
EXTERNAL LINKS New York Times: Royal Family of Nepal Are Killed in Palace Shooting The World Factbook: Nepal Nepal News The Nepal Media Nepal Home Page Government and Politics Directory Political History Embassy of India Embassy World
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