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Aishwarya Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah (Nepali: ऐश्वर्य राज्य लक्ष्मी देवी शाह) (7 November 1949 – 1 June 2001) was the Queen of Nepal from 1972 to 2001, also referred as Bada Maharani (बडामहारानी). She was the wife of King Birendra She was the eldest among the three daughters of late General Kendra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana and Shree Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah in Lazimpat Durbar, Lazimpat, Kathmandu.^{[citation needed]}

Aishwarya
Queen Aishwarya in 1972
Queen consort of Nepal
Tenure	31 January 1972 – 1 June 2001
Coronation	24 February 1975
Born	(1949-11-07)7 November 1949 Lazimpat Durbar, Kathmandu, Kingdom of Nepal
Died	1 June 2001(2001-06-01) (aged 51) Narayanhity Royal Palace, Kathmandu, Kingdom of Nepal
Spouse	King Birendra ​ (m. 1970)​
Issue	King Dipendra Princess Shruti Prince Nirajan
Names Aishwarya Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah
House	Rana; by birth Shah; by marriage
Father	General Kendra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana
Mother	Shree Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah
Religion	Hinduism

She was celebrated as a woman of classical beauty, famous for her hairstyles and ways of dressing.

Education

She had her school education in St Helen's Convent of Kurseong, India and St Mary's of Jawalakhel. She passed S.L.C. from Kanti Ishwari Rajya Laxmi High School in 1963. She was enrolled in the Tribhuvan University-affiliated school, Padmakanya College and graduated in arts in 1967.

Family background

She was from the Rana family which had ruled Nepal for 104 years. She was the eldest daughter of General Kendra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana (1921–1982) and his wife, Shree Rajya Lakshmi Shah (1926–2005). She had two brothers (Suraj Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana; Uday Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana) and two sisters (Queen Komal Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah; Princess Prekshya Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah). ^{[citation needed]} After her death, her younger sister became Queen consort of Nepal. Her family had been the effective rulers of Nepal until the 1950s. In 1970, she married Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, then Crown Prince of Nepal (and her second cousin).

Aishwarya's youngest sister Prekshya also married into the Shah dynasty, marrying Gyanendra and Birendra's brother Prince Dhirendra who was killed in the palace massacre. They divorced in the 1980s.[1] Princess Prekshya was killed in a helicopter crash on 12 November 2001.

Queen of Nepal

After King Mahendra died in 1972, Birendra became the King and Aishwarya became the Queen consort.

Queen Aishwarya was energetic, outspoken and a smart woman having beauty with brains.[2] She arranged different social and cultural programmes.

Queen Aishwarya supported her husband in every steps of her life though difficulties came across them. She was a far sighted women who could understand the need of the country and its people.

The country people took her support for her husband as a dominant nature, but with the passage of time, Queen Aishwarya's dominance over her husband reportedly mellowed down and she was seen as a caring companion for her husband, whose popularity increased with time.[3]

Literary works

She was interested in literature under the pen-name Chadani Shah, wrote dozens of poems which have been collected under the title Aphnai Akash Aphnai Paribesh. The anthology is prefaced with criticisms about Chadani Shah's writing by veteran critics of Nepalese Literature. She was also a famous song composer and her songs were frequently aired by Radio Nepal and Nepal Television.

Assassination and death

Queen Aishwarya was shot dead along with her husband, King Birendra; her son, Prince Nirajan; her daughter, Princess Shruti; and seven other royal family members. It is widely believed that the motive for the murder was the strong opposition to the Crown Prince's proposed marriage to Devyani Rana. Queen Aishwarya's face was so badly disfigured by the gunshot wound that, for the widely attended state funeral procession, it was covered by a porcelain mask bearing her likeness.[4]

Honours

National

• Nepal:
  • Member with Collar of the Order of Mahendra[5]
  • Member Grand Cross of the Order of Honour[6][7]
  • Member Grand Cross of the Order of the Benevolent Ruler[8][9][10]
  • Member Grand Cross of the Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu^{[citation needed]}
  • King Birendra Investiture Medal (24 February 1975)
  • Commemorative Silver Jubilee Medal of King Birendra (31 January 1997)

Foreign

•  Denmark: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog
•  Egypt: Grand Cross of the Order of the Virtues, Special Class
•  Finland: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose
•  France: Grand Cross of the Order of National Merit[11]
•  Germany: Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
•  Japan: Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
• Lao Royal Family: Dame Grand Cross of Royal Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol
•  Pakistan: Grand Cross of the Order of Excellence
• Romania: Grand Cross of the Order of 23 August
•  Spain:
  • Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III[12][13]
  • Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic[14]
•  Thailand: Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of Chula Chom Klao
•  Yugoslavia: Grand Cross Great Star of the Order of the Yugoslav Star[15]

Royal Titles

Royal titles
Preceded by Ratna	Queen consort of Nepal 1972–2001	Succeeded by Komal

References

External links

• "Aishwarya: Nepal's forceful queen" 5 June 2001, BBC news

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