Former King Gyanendra Shah Celebrates 79th Birthday, Enters 80th Year

Dragon Media News Desk

Former King Gyanendra Shah celebrated his 79th birthday on Tuesday in the presence of family members and close relatives.

The family ceremony organised on the occasion was attended by former queen Komal Shah, former crown prince Paras Shah, former crown princess Himani Shah and other members of the former royal family. Family members and relatives extended birthday greetings to the former king during the ceremony.

Photographs from the birthday celebration, which was held in a family setting without organising a large public event, show the former king together with former queen Komal and other family members. The ceremony also appears to have included cake-cutting, the exchange of greetings and the taking of family photographs.

Former King Shah was born at Narayanhiti Royal Palace on Asar 23, 2004 BS. Born as the second son of then king Mahendra Shah and crown princess Indra Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah, Gyanendra Shah is the only person in Nepal’s history to have ascended the throne twice.

He was declared king for a brief period during his childhood amid the political circumstances in which then king Tribhuvan travelled to India with his family. He later returned to the throne following the Narayanhiti Palace incident in 2058 BS, in which the family line of then king Birendra Shah was wiped out.

He served as the king of Nepal from 2058 to 2065 BS. The monarchy formally ended after the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a federal democratic republic on Jestha 15, 2065 BS. Since then, he has participated in various social, religious and public activities as the former king.

Former King Shah has periodically expressed his views on the country’s political, social and economic situation through written statements and public addresses. In his messages, he has emphasised national unity, social harmony, sovereignty and improvement in citizens’ living standards.

On the occasion of his birthday, various pro-monarchy groups, well-wishers and citizens conveyed their greetings through social media. Photographs of the 79th birthday celebration with family members were also made public, showing the former king and former queen together with members of different generations of the family.

Supporters of former King Shah have viewed his 79th birthday as an important occasion connected with Nepal’s modern political history. The birthday celebration, however, was held as a private family event.