Komal
Queen Komal ca. 1985 in Nepal
Queen consort of Nepal
Tenure4 June 2001 – 28 May 2008
Coronation4 June 2001
BornKomal Rana
(1951-02-18) 18 February 1951
Bagmati, Kathmandu, Nepal
SpouseGyanendra of Nepal
IssueParas, Crown Prince of Nepal
Princess Prerana
Names
Komal Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah
HouseRana (by birth)
Shah (by marriage)
FatherKendra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana
MotherShree Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah
ReligionHinduism

Komal (Nepali: कोमल राज्य लक्ष्मी देवी शाह) (born 18 February 1951) is a member of the Nepalese royal family who was 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 Shree 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 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 killed in the palace massacre. They divorced in 1991. Princess 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

  • Member of the Raj Sabha (1977).
  • Patron Association of St Mary's Alumnae Nepal.
  • Chairman of the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT).
  • President of the SOS Children's Villages-Nepal (2001).

Honours

National

Arms of Komal as dame of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
  • Member of Order of Gorkha Right Arm (1975)
  • Member of the Order of Rama Mantra Power (1980)
  • Member of the Order of Three Divine Powers (1998)
  • Member of the Order of Honour (17 October 2001)
  • Member of the Order of the Benevolent Ruler (7 April 2004)
  • Recipient of the Vishesh Seva Medal (Distinguished Service Medal, 1971)
  • Recipient of the King Birendra Investiture Medal (24 February 1975)
  • Recipient of the Commemorative Silver Jubilee Medal of King Birendra (31 January 1997)
  • Recipient of the Vishista Seva Medal (Distinguished Service Medal, 1999)
  • Recipient of the King Gyanendra Investiture Medal (4 June 2001)
  • Most Glorious Mahendra Chain

Foreign

References

  1. ↑ "Nepal queen leaves hospital". 27 June 2001 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  2. ↑ "Vote to abolish Nepal's monarchy". 28 December 2007 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  3. ↑ "Nepal votes to abolish monarchy". 28 May 2008 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  4. ↑ "Bilateral Relations". Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.
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