Nepalese royal massacre

Nepalese royal massacre
Narayanhiti Palace, site of the Durbar Hatyakand
LocationTribhuvan Sadan, Narayanhiti Palace, Kathmandu, Nepal
Coordinates27°42′56″N 85°19′12″E / 27.7156°N 85.32°E / 27.7156; 85.32
Date1 June 2001 (2001-06-01)
(19 Jestha 2058 Nepal B.S.)
Around 21:00 (UTC+05:45)
TargetThe Nepalese royal family
Attack type
Mass shooting, familicide, regicide, murder–suicide
Weapons
Deaths10
Injured5
PerpetratorDipendra of Nepal

The Nepalese royal massacre occurred on the night of 1 June 2001, at the Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu, the residence of the House of Shah, the royal family of Nepal. During a private gathering of the royal family, Crown Prince Dipendra allegedly shot and killed ten members of his family, including his father King Birendra, his mother Queen Aishwarya, and his younger brother Prince Nirajan, before shooting himself.

Dipendra was declared king while in a coma and died three days later, after which his uncle Gyanendra ascended the throne. The massacre shocked the nation and the world, leading to widespread mourning and confusion. Official investigations concluded that Dipendra was responsible, although conspiracy theories persist about the true events and motivations behind the killings.

The tragedy significantly undermined public support for the monarchy, accelerating political changes that ultimately led to the abolition of the monarchy and the declaration of Nepal as a republic in 2008.