Celebrity Deathwatch: Nepal Royals, royalty, various

["Deathwatch Central" <cdw@slick.org>]

Many deaths that seemed better to group - Ed.

Saturday June 2 9:41 AM ET 

Nepal's King And Queen Die in Palace Massacre
By Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's king and queen have been shot dead in a
palace massacre blamed on their son and heir, Crown Prince Dipendra,
robbing the country of its popular and influential monarch.

As many as 11 members of the royal family were reported to have died in
the shooting on Friday night, and there was speculation that the incident
was sparked by a row over Dipendra's choice of bride.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of hushed and anxious Nepalis, stunned by
the violence, gathered in the streets of Kathmandu to watch the funeral
procession of the world's only Hindu king.

Nepal state radio said the country's privy council had declared Dipendra
the new king, but because he was critically wounded and in a coma, had
also appointed the late king's brother, Prince Gyanendra, as regent.

``The first son of his majesty the king and heir to the throne, Dipendra
Bir Bikram Shah Dev, has been proclaimed the king in accordance with the
law, custom and usage relating to the succession to the throne,'' state
radio said.

``Since the new king is physically unable to exercise his duty and is
undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit of the military hospital
in Kathmandu, his uncle, Prince Gyanendra, has been proclaimed as the
regent,'' it added.

King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, their son Prince Nirajan and daughter
Shruti were to be cremated on the banks of the holy Bagmati river later on
Saturday.

Nepalis rushed to line the 10-km (six-mile) route for the final procession
of their royal family, which has acted as a constitutional monarchy in the
Himalayan country since the late king ceded absolute power in 1990.

Civil servants were ordered to shave their heads in a traditional Hindu
mark of respect, while Nepal began a 13-day period of mourning.

Home (Interior) Minister Ram Chandra Poudel said Dipendra had opened fire
on his parents and other family members before turning his gun on himself.

``He first shot the others, then shot himself,'' he told Reuters, adding
that up to 11 family members had died.

But those who knew Dipendra said they could not believe he had killed his
own parents.

``The crown prince was bright, sensible and friendly,'' said Mana Ranjan
Josse, a journalist who has written extensively about the royal
family. ``I find it incredible.''

Only a few people in the crowd of mourners were crying.

The most visible emotion was anxiety about the exact circumstances of the
death of the king, revered by many Nepalis as an incarnation of the Hindu
god Vishnu.

``People want to know what happened. Everybody is shocked but nobody's
telling us the true story,'' said Manohar Singh, who stood at his
motorcycle on the road to the Royal Palace.

Prince Gyanendra was out of town at the time of the slaughter.

The late king was both popular and influential, and prime ministers often
counted on him for support. Analysts said his violent death was likely to
sow deep confusion in the country.

LATE KING HIGHLY RESPECTED

``King Birendra commanded great respect,'' said Kalim Bahadur, professor
of South Asian studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. ``He
played a key role in promoting democracy and enabling it to take roots in
the kingdom,'' he added.

Nepal, a landlocked country of some 22 million people, has been racked by
a Maoist insurgency in recent years. It is one of the world's 10 poorest
countries.

Though the funeral was called too quickly to be attended by foreign
leaders -- in line with a tradition of cremating the dead quickly in the
heat of the summer -- messages of sympathy poured in from around the
world.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the deaths of the royals were a
``dreadful tragedy,'' while Britain's Prince Charles, who knew the family
well, was said to be shocked and saddened.

Both the new king and his father were educated at Britain's prestigious
Eton College, where Dipendra was remembered as a bright and popular
student.

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said he was profoundly shocked, while
neighboring India announced three days of official state mourning


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