Dhirendra of Nepal

Dhirendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva of Nepal (14 Jan 1950 – 1 June 2001) was the youngest son of King Mahendra of Nepal, and his first wife, Crown Princess Indra.^[1]

Education

He studied with his brothers King Birendra and King Gyanendra in St. Joseph's College, Darjeeling, India; and in 1969, he graduated from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu.

Life

His mother Indra died because of complications during the birth of him.^[2]

Prince Dhirendra was often described as the "wayward" one among King Mahendra's sons. He was described as fun loving, generous, and kind. When he was in school, he was greatly interested in theater. Prince Dhirendra was also greatly interested in sports. He had a black belt in karate and from 1975 to 1988, he was chief scout of Nepal and patron of the National Sports Council. In 1987, he was the chairman of National Youth Services Foundation. In 1974, he represented the king at coronation of Bhutanese King Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

Prince Dhirendra renounced his title of Prince and the style of His Royal Highness because of his relationship with a foreigner in December 1987. After that, he lived in England until he returned to Nepal in 1998.

Marriages and family

On May 13, 1973, he married his second cousin (and the sister of the wives of their brothers, Queen Aishwarya and Queen Komal), Princess Prekshya (19 January 1956 – 12 Nov 2001). From this marriage, he had three daughters:

• Princess Puja Rajya Lakshmi Devi (b. 1976).
• Princess Dilasha Rajya Lakshmi Devi (b. 1978).
• Princess Sitashma Rajya Lakshmi Devi (b. 1981).^[3]

In the 1980s, he divorced his first wife.

Secondly, on April 22, 1986 he married, at the Dakshinkali Temple, Jaya Shah Pandey, daughter of Bidhi Raj Pandey. Later, they divorced.^[4]

With Jaya Shah, Dhirendra had one daughter:

• Shreya Shah (b. 16 June 1988).

Finally, Dhirendra had a relationship with a British woman, Shirley Greaney (born in 1960 in Canada). When Queen Aishwarya came to know of this affair from her sister, she had Dhirendra stripped of his titles and exiled from Nepal.

With Shirley Shah, whom he married in 1991,^[5] Dhirendra had one daughter:

• Ushaana Laela Shah (b. 22 July 1993).

Death

Dhirendra was killed in the palace massacre at Narayanhity Royal Palace, during one of his rare visits to the country. He was due to regain his title and place in the line of succession.

Styles

• 1950 - 1972: His Royal Highness Sri Panch Adhirajkumar Dhirendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva.
• 1972 - 1986: Colonel His Royal Highness Suprasidha-Prabala-Gorkha-Dakshina-Bahu Sri Panch Adhirajkumar Dhirendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva.
• 1986 - 1987: Colonel His Royal Highness Suprasidha-Prabala-Gorkha-Dakshina-Bahu Sri Panch Adhirajkumar Dhirendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva, GCMG.
• 1987 - 2001: Suprasidha-Prabala-Gorkha-Dakshina-Bahu Dhirendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva, GCMG.

Honours

• 2 May 1956: King Mahendra Coronation Medal.
• 1972: Order of the Gurkha Right Hand, 1st class (Suprasidha-Prabala-Gorkha-Dakshina-Bahu).
• 24 February 1975: King Birendra Coronation Medal.
• 17 February 1986: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG).
• 24 February 1997: Commemorative Silver Jubilee Medal of King Birendra.

Ancestry

References