Nepalese royal massacre — event on 1 June 2001 in Kathmandu, Nepal in which Crown Prince Dipendra killed most of the royal family (including King Birendra and himself) with a gun
The massacre eliminated most of Nepal's royal family in a single night, triggering a succession crisis that accelerated the monarchy's eventual abolition.
Key Facts
- Date
- 1 June 2001
- Location
- Narayanhiti Palace, Kathmandu
- Royal family members killed
- 9 people
- Perpetrator
- Crown Prince Dipendra
- Dipendra's subsequent status
- Declared king while comatose; died 3 days later
- Successor to throne
- Prince Gyanendra (Birendra's brother)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Crown Prince Dipendra, under circumstances not fully established in public record, opened fire on members of his own family at Narayanhiti Palace on the night of 1 June 2001. A government-appointed inquiry named him as the sole perpetrator, though the precise motive was never officially confirmed.
During a royal family gathering at Narayanhiti Palace, Crown Prince Dipendra shot and killed nine members of the royal family, including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya. Dipendra then shot himself and fell into a coma. Despite being unconscious, he was formally declared king under constitutional procedure.
Dipendra died in hospital three days later without regaining consciousness, ending his nominal reign. His uncle Gyanendra ascended the throne. The massacre destabilized the monarchy at a time of active Maoist insurgency and contributed to a political crisis that ultimately led to the abolition of the Nepalese monarchy in 2008.