Birendra of Nepal

From a very young age, Birendra was described by his school teachers as a very kind and emotional prince. King Birendra was described as one of the few Nepalese monarchs who wanted the Nepalese people to experience real democracy. This was observed in the 2036 B.S. Janmat Sangraha (1980 Referendum) when he wanted the people to choose whether they wanted 'Multiparty Democracy' or a 'Reformed Panchayat System'. However, the leaders advocating for the democracy and historians all have claimed that the referendum was rigged.[1] After People's Movement I that resulted in few hundred deaths, he was forced to establish a constitutional monarchy in Nepal.[2]

Some historians have speculated that King Birendra's democratic views and simple nature led to the success of the People's Movement I (1990).[3] He is credited for introducing SAARC in Asia in order to strengthen the foreign relations of Nepal with the other South Asian countries.

King Birendra Bikram Shah Dev

King Birendra was born at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace in Kathmandu as the eldest son of the then Crown Prince Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and his first wife, Crown Princess Indra Rajya Lakshmi Devi.[4][5]

Birendra spent eight years studying at St Joseph's School, a Jesuit school in Darjeeling, with his brother Gyanendra. On 13 March 1955 their grandfather King Tribhuvan died, and their father succeeded to the Nepalese throne. With his father's ascension Birendra became the Crown Prince of Nepal.

In 1959, Birendra enrolled at Eton College in the United Kingdom. After studying at Eton until 1964, he returned to Nepal where he began to explore the country by travelling on foot to the remote parts of the country where he lived on whatever was available in the villages and monasteries.[4] He later completed his education by spending some time at the University of Tokyo, before studying political theory at Harvard University from 1967 to 1968.[6] Birendra enjoyed traveling in his youth, and went on trips to Canada, Latin America, Africa, many parts of India, and a number of other Asian countries. He was also an art collector and supporter of Nepalese crafts people and artists, and learnt to fly helicopters.[7]

Birendra was married to Aishwarya Rajya Lakshmi Devi from the Rana family, his second cousin, on 27 February 1970.[8] The wedding, which was billed as one of the most lavish Hindu nuptial ceremonies in history, cost $9.5 million to stage.[9] King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya had three children:

• Prince Dipendra (27 June 1971 – 4 June 2001)
• Princess Shruti (15 October 1976 – 1 June 2001)
• Prince Nirajan (6 November 1978 – 1 June 2001)

Birendra succeeded to the Nepalese throne on 31 January 1972, at the age of 27, after the death of his father King Mahendra. On his ascension he was effectively an absolute monarch, as he inherited a country where political parties were banned and he ruled through a system of local and regional councils known as panchayats.[7] Birendra resented the imputation that he was an absolute monarch, maintaining that he presided over a democracy in which representatives to the assembly were indirectly elected and saying that his poor and backward country could not afford a democracy based on party politics and that it needed firm and decisive government.[10] His first trips abroad as king were to India in October 1973 and China two months later [11] as he believed that Nepal, sandwiched between the two Asian powers, should have good relations with both.[12]

Birendra with Rajiv Gandhi

In 1990, a series of strikes and pro-democracy riots broke out in Nepal. Because of the rioting, King Birendra lifted the ban on political parties and agreed to become a constitutional monarch in April 1990. He appointed an independent Constitution Recommendation Commission to represent the main opposition factions and to prepare a new constitution to accommodate their demands for political reform. The commission presented him with the draft of the proposed constitution on 10 September 1990. The new constitution would make Birendra head of state of a constitutional monarchy with a system of multiparty democracy. The draft constitution was approved by the Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and his cabinet and so, on 9 November 1990, Birendra promulgated the new constitution transforming Nepal into a constitutional monarchy. King Birendra appointed an interim government to pave the way for elections. To head this he chose Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, who he had imprisoned for several years. In a discussion on BBC radio, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai spoke of King Birendra's impeccable personal manners and courtesy and his equally impeccable role as a constitutional monarch.[18][19]

However, the quarrels between various political parties and numerous social problems led to the Nepalese Civil War, a conflict between Maoist rebels and government forces, which lasted from 1996 until 2006.

Narayanhiti Palace where the Nepalese royal massacre occurred.

The stability of Nepal was threatened even more when Birendra and his family (including Queen Aishwarya) were massacred at a royal dinner on 1 June 2001.

Almost all of the royal family members were killed in the massacre except Gyanendra Shah, Birendra's younger brother. Dipendra was proclaimed king but died a few days later of self-inflicted gunshot wounds sustained in the massacre. Consequently Gyanendra was inducted as king. Dipendra's body was cremated after his funeral.[20]

Eyewitness reports and an official investigation (carried by a two-man committee made up of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Keshav Prasad Upadhaya and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhat),[21] confirmed that Dipendra was the gunman. Detailed investigation is impossible as the "Tribhuvan Sadan" (the building where the massacre occurred) was demolished by the Gyanendra government which made Gyanendra a most unpopular king.[22][23][24][25]

Styles of His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev
Reference style	His Royal Majesty
Spoken style	Your Royal Majesty
Alternative style	Sir

National orders

• Sovereign of the Order of Nepal Pratap Bhaskara
• Sovereign of the Order of Ojaswi Rajanya
• Sovereign of the Order of Nepal Taradisha
• Sovereign of the Order of Tri Shakti Patta
• Sovereign of the Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu
• Most Glorious Mahendra Chain
• Recipient of the King Mahendra Investiture Medal (02/05/1956)

Foreign orders

•  Thailand:
  • Collar of Order of the Rajamitrabhorn, (1979)
•  Denmark:
  • Knight of the Order of the Elephant, (17 October 1989)
•  Japan:
  • Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum, (1975)
•  Cyprus:
  • Collar of the Order of Makarios III of Cyprus, (1980)
•  Kingdom of Laos:
  • Collar of the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol, (1970)
•  Netherlands:
  • Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau, (22 March 1975)
•  France:
  • Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, (02/05/1983)[26]
•  Germany:
  • Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, (1986)
•  Spain:
  • Collar of the Royal Order of Charles III, (19 September 1983)[27]
•  Pakistan:
  • Nishan-e-Pakistan, (1983)
•  Romania:
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania, (1975)
•  Chile:
  • Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of Chile (1989)
•  Finland:
  • Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose, (1988)
•  Egypt:
  • Collar of the Order of the Nile, (1974)
•  Yugoslavia:
  • Great Star of the Order of the Yugoslav Star, (2 February 1974)
• Romania:
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of 23 August (1987)
•  United Kingdom:
  • Recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain (23 February 1975)

Association honours

•  Japan: Golden Pheasant Award of the Scout Association of Japan, (1978)

H.M. Svasti Sri Giriraja Bahadur Shah Bahadur Shamsher Jang Devanam Sada Samara Vijayinam, King of Nepal, Royal Victorian Chain (23 February 1975)

Album of Late king Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev by Narayan Prasad Shiwakoti: Published on 1995 AD – Election