June 11, 2008
11:30pm Nepali time
King Gyanendra, now simply Mr. Gyanendra Shah, just left the Narayanhiti Palace forever.
At a 14-minute long press conference held at Kaski Baithak, the main chamber of the palace, the ex-King said he accepted the May 28 declaration of a republic –- brought on by a decade-long Maoist insurgency and a country-wide revolt against the King’s autocratic rule -- and pledged to work for Nepal’s "peace, progress and independence."
Afterward, he left for Nagarjuna Palace, his old hunting lodge just outside Kathmandu.
During
the press conference, which was aired on television, the ex-king spent
considerable time clearing his name over allegations of his involvement
in the royal massacre of June 1, 2001.
"The reputations of me
and my family was deliberately tarnished by accusations," he said. "My
wife still has fragments of bullets that can't be taken out." Gyanendra
ascended the throne in June 2001 
after a palace massacre in which the then crown prince Dipendra -- who
was drunk and on drugs and furious at being prevented from marrying the
woman he loved -- killed most of the royal family including himself.
"Me and my family have been continuously defamed with ill intentions
which was saddening and still is. The accusations that were targeted
against us were inhuman," said the ex-king.
Many
Nepalese still believe –including Maoist Central Party leaders -- that
Gyandendra was behind the killings, even though an official probe and
several independent studies have dismissed that view as little more
than a conspiracy theory.
Gyanendra refuted allegations about
acquiring disproportionate amount of properties after becoming the
King. He also denied rumors that he had siphoned off his property to
foreign countries. "Whatever property I have is in Nepal. I have no
assets abroad.
He also said he had no intention of leaving
Nepal. "I want to stay in Nepal and help in development and
peace-building in any way I can. The sweat blood and sacrifices of our
ancestors protected the independence and territorial integrity of this
country and I want to promise I will defend it at all cost." 
In the past weeks, many news articles have speculated that the ex-king
would not give up possession of his diamond and emerald crown and
scepter. But he assured the media that he had handed over both objects
to the government.
If
the nation was expecting an apology from Gyanendra, they didn’t get it:
"If I took away any rights of anyone as head of state, if there is any
suffering please understand it was not intentional, it was done for the
sake of peace.”
The packed press conference was the first ever held by a king of Nepal
in the palace, and was held in the hall in which the king normally
received ambassadors and foreign heads of state. Mr. Shah entered
smiling, but delivered his downbeat message in an emphatic tone,
refusing to take questions from the media.
His
final statement was the traditional, "May Lord Pashupatinath help us.”
And with that, the 239-year-old monarchy of Nepal was over.
His first task as a common citizen was to travel the few miles to his
new residence situated on a forested hill northwest of the capital. He
swept out of the sprawling Narayanhiti complex in the heart of the
capital in a black Mercedes limousine, driving behind an armed police
pick-up, past hundreds of onlookers and riot police.
A
few dozen people urged him on his way with chants like "Gyane, thief,
leave the country", using an insulting diminutive of his name, cheering
and dancing as he drove away. 
The picture is probably less gloomy than one might expect.
Gyanendra will be allowed to continue his business interests, which are
considerable indeed: tea and tobacco companies and casinos are among
his known personal assets. And he’s not being thrown out sans armed
protection. As per the government decision, a total of 75 security
personnel—50 Armed Police Force and 25 Nepal Army—will protect him. 
Interestingly, the former queen mother Ratna, though divested of her
title, will be allowed to continue to live in Mahendra Manzil, the
mansion her late husband built for her. Likewise, former queen Komal
has also been granted permission to stay in her quarters in the palace.
Though the cabinet meeting on Sunday said the two women will be allowed
to remain where they are for the time being, it is likely that they
will be allowed to breathe their last in their palace quarters.
Former Crown Prince Paras and his family will continue to reside in his
father’s other compound located not far from Narayanhiti Palace.
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