Queen Komal of Nepal


Komal Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah is the wife of King Gyanendra of Nepal. She was the last Queen consort of Nepal before the Monarchy was abolished on 28 May 2008.

Life

Queen Komal was born in Bagmati, Kathmandu into the Rana family, the daughter of Kendra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana and his wife Shree Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah.
Queen 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.
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, 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, and they have two children.
The Nepalese Parliament voted on 28 December as part of a peace deal with former Maoist rebels, 270-3 in favour of abolishing the monarchy.
On 28 May 2008, the monarchy was officially abolished, replaced by secular federal republic.

Patronages

;National Honours
;Foreign Honours