In 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra shot and killed nine relatives, including the king and queen, almost completely wiping out the Nepalese royal family.
On the evening of June 1, 2001, a party was held at Narayanhiti Palace, the official residence of the Nepalese royal family. Crown Prince Dipendra, 29 years old, the eldest son of King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Queen Aishwarya, appeared drunk after drinking whiskey and smoking a marijuana-laced cigarette.
After an argument with a guest, Dipendra was escorted back to his room by his brother Nirajan and a cousin. The prince called his lover Devyani Rana three times. Rana said that Dipendra spoke incoherently and told her he was going to bed.
The crown prince then emerged from his bedroom in camouflage gear carrying three guns, including an M16 assault rifle.
A palace aide saw him at the top of the stairs, but did not think anything unusual because the Crown Prince was known to be an avid gun collector. The dinner at the palace was a private event reserved for royals only, so no bodyguards were present.
The prince opened fire on his father, King Birendra, as his relatives panicked. Palace aides said they tried to break through the glass door to rescue other royals. A witness said that after killing those in the room where the dinner was being held, the prince went to look for his mother in the garden.
"Don't do it, please. Kill me if you want," said his brother Nirajan, shielding Queen Aishwarya with his body. Dipendra shot them both dead.
The prince killed a total of nine relatives, including his parents, siblings, and aunts and uncles, and wounded several others before shooting himself in the head. Dipendra was taken to hospital in a coma. Dipendra's motive is unknown as he died three days after the attack. His uncle, Gyanendra, became the new king of Nepal.
The event shocked the nation, sending grieving people into the streets and rioting for several days. It ushered in a period of turmoil in Nepal that culminated in the end of the country's monarchy seven years later.
From left, Crown Prince Dipendra, King Birendra, Prince Nirajan, Queen Aiswarya and Princess Shuriti, 1990. Photo: Reuters
There are many theories about why the Crown Prince committed the crime. Some experts believe that the King of Nepal's decision to change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy after the uprising in the 1990s angered his son. The Crown Prince felt that the king had given away too much power and was worried about his succession.
A more popular theory is that the Crown Prince was unhappy with his love life. The massacre is said to have followed an argument between Dipendra and his parents when they objected to his marrying his lover Devyani Rana.
Prince Dipendra attended Eton College, the prestigious British school that trains future kings and prime ministers . During this time, he met the love of his life, Devyani Rana, who was also studying in England.
Rana was the daughter of a leading Nepalese politician and a descendant of an Indian prince, and had all the qualities to become the crown prince's wife. But Queen Aishwarya was determined to sever the relationship. She insisted that her son marry a distant relative of the Shah family.
Rana's family was also skeptical about the relationship. Although the marriage would make her the future queen of Nepal, Rana's mother warned her that she would have to get used to a much less lavish lifestyle.
"Rana grew up in extreme luxury," the Nepali Times reported. "The mother also said that the Nepali royal family is relatively poor and she had to think seriously about whether her daughter could survive if she married into a poor family."
But Dipendra and Devyani continued to meet secretly for many years. The prince persisted in begging his parents to allow them to marry.
Crown Prince Dipendra. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
By 2001, tensions between the King and Queen and their eldest son had reached a boiling point. There was speculation in the press that the Crown Prince's unmarried age, approaching his 30th birthday, might threaten his position as heir to the throne.
An article published on 27 May 2001 said that "people are asking why the Crown Prince is still unmarried at this age and whether his future as heir to the throne is in doubt".
"It is time for the Crown Prince to get married. The people of Nepal want the Crown Prince's wedding to be held soon and in the grandest manner," the article concluded.
Devyani Rana (far right), who is believed to be the girlfriend of Crown Prince Dipendra. Photo: AP
There are other theories that the massacre was the result of a political conspiracy. The fact that the investigation into the tragedy lasted only a week raises suspicions. However, the Nepalese government has denied this.
Suspicion also fell on the uncle who ascended to the throne after the massacre, Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. He was absent from the palace on the fateful night. Rumors spread that Gyanendra had conspired with his son Paras to carry out the massacre and framed Dipendra so that they could claim the throne. Both men denied any involvement.
A former Nepalese foreign minister has accused India and the US of being behind a plot to eliminate the royal family, without providing evidence.
The palace massacre also reminded some people of a legend that has been circulating in this country since 1769, when King Prithvi Narayan Shah founded the kingdom of Nepal. At that time, the king was marching into the Kathmandu Valley when he came across a sage and offered him some yogurt. The sage tasted it and returned the rest, saying it was blessed. Not wanting to eat the yogurt that the sage had tasted, the king threw it on the ground.
The sage angrily criticized the king for being too arrogant. He said that if the king had eaten the yogurt, all his wishes would have come true. The yogurt splashed onto the king's 10 toes, with a prophecy that the dynasty he built would collapse after 10 generations.
King Birendra was the 11th king of the Shah dynasty. King Gyanendra was unpopular and in 2008, Nepal abolished the monarchy and became a republic.
Vu Hoang (According to ABC News )
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