Prince Hridayendra of Nepal

Prince Hridayendra of Nepal Nava Yuvaraj Full name Hridayendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev Dynasty Shah dynasty Father Paras, Crown Prince of Nepal Mother Himani, Crown Princess of Nepal Born 30 July 2002 (2002-07-30) (age 9) Kathmandu

Nepalese Royal Family (1768–2008) HM The King HM The Queen HRH The Crown Prince HRH The Crown Princess HRH Princess Purnika HRH Prince Hridayendra HRH Princess Kritika HRH Princess Prerana HM The Queen Mother HRH Princess Shova HRH Princess Puja HRH Princess Dilasha HRH Princess Sitashma HRH Princess Jotshana v · Reference style His Royal Highness Spoken style Your Royal Highness Alternative style Sir

Prince Hridayendra of Nepal (born 30 July 2002) is a member of the Nepalese Royal Family and is second in line to the throne. The monarchy was officially suspended on 28 May 2008.^[1] Until the suspension of the monarchy he was known in Nepal by the title Nava Yuvaraj.

Nava Yuvaraj

Hridayendra was born at 12:49 pm in the Narayanhity Royal Palace in Kathmandu to Crown Prince Paras and Crown Princess Himani. At birth he weighed 3.3 kg.^[2]

His grandfather Gyanendra is the deposed king of Nepal and his grandmother is Queen Komal, a member of the Rana dynasty. Through his mother he is descended from the Indian princely family of Sikar, which belongs to the Shekhawat clan. Following Hindu custom he was officially named Hridayendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev in a ceremony at the Narayanhity Royal Palace eleven days after his birth.^[3] At birth he was given the title Nava Yuvaraj (Young Crown Prince) being the eldest son of the heir apparent.^[4]

In Hinduism there are a number of stages to groom a future king. Six months after his birth, in accordance with Nepalese royal tradition, Prince Hridayendra received the traditional rice feeding ceremony (Annaprasan ceremony) at the Narayanhity Royal Palace. The ceremony was carried out in accordance with Vedic tradition. During the ceremony he was fed rice by his mother, then by other members of the Royal Family. Following another traditional feature of the ceremony he was offered a gold coin by the prime minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand and other officials. Later Prince Hridayendra made his first public appearance in a chariot procession and was taken to holy sites in old Kathmandu where worship and rituals were held. The Prime Minister acts as guardian during this stage of the ceremony, and carries the prince around the temples to symbolise the roots between the people and the monarchy.^[5]

Place in line of succession

Prince Hridayendra was second in the line of succession to the Nepalese throne from his birth until the monarchy was abolished on 28 May 2008 after 2008 Constituent Assembly election.

In August 2006, before the monarchy was suspended, the Nepalese government adopted a bill to replace the Agnatic succession law with equal primogeniture. The House of Representatives subsequently approved the bill. Had the bill become law, Prince Hridayendra wouldn't have been relegated to third in the line of succession with his older sister Princess Purnika being elevated to second, because the law also possessed the clause that the present Royals will not be relegated from their titles, till their lifetime.^[6]

In February 2007, there was speculation in Nepal that Prince Hridayendra's father and grandfather would make a way for him to take the throne.^[7] In July 2007, the Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala repeated calls for the King and Crown Prince to abdicate in favour of Prince Hridayendra^[8] though this was rejected by the Maoists.^[9]

Post monarchy

On 24 December 2007 it was announced that Nepal would abolish the monarchy in 2008 after the Constituent Assembly elections.^[10] On 28 May 2008 the monarchy was officially suspended, replaced by an interim secular federal republic.^[1]

Prior to the suspension of the monarchy Hridayendra attended Rupy’s International School in Kathmandu with his sisters Princesses Purnika and Kritika.^[11] In July 2008 Prince Hridayendra left Nepal with his mother and sisters to move to Singapore to join his father who had been making arrangements for the family to live in the country.^[12][13]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Nepal votes to abolish monarchy". BBC. 28 May 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7424302.stm. Retrieved 29 May 2008. 
2. ^ "Nepalese crown princess gives birth". Asian Political News. 5 August 2002. Archived from the original on 31 December 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071231040728/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0WDQ/is_2002_August_5/ai_90193361. Retrieved 31 July 2007. 
3. ^ Pradhan, Suman (10 August 2002). "New heir heralds public acceptance of Nepal royals". Times of India. India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/18696277.cms. Retrieved 31 July 2007. 
4. ^ Buyers, Christopher. "Royal Ark, Nepal". http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Nepal/nepal.htm. Retrieved 31 July 2007. 
5. ^ Poudel, Keshab (17 January 2003). "Ritual Of Harmony". Nepalnews.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070927184343/http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/englishweekly/spotlight/2003/jan/jan17/national1.htm. Retrieved 31 July 2007. 
6. ^ Days in Nepali History. 1. Nepali Aawaz. pp. 3. Archived from the original on 9 August 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070809102640/http://www.thdl.org/texts/reprints/nepali_aawaz/Nepali_Aawaz_01_17.pdf. Retrieved 31 July 2007 
7. ^ "King to quit Nepal?". India enews. 7 February 2007. http://www.indiaenews.com/nepal/20070207/38488.htm. Retrieved 31 July 2007. 
8. ^ "Nepal baby prince's baptism by fire". Times of India. India. 20 June 2007. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest_of_World/Nepal_baby_princes_baptism_by_fire/articleshow/2134999.cms. Retrieved 31 July 2007. 
9. ^ Page, Jeremy (6 July 2007). "Envoys snub king’s birthday party". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2033984.ece. Retrieved 19 March 2008. 
10. ^ "Nepalese monarchy to be abolished". BBC. 24 December 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7158670.stm. Retrieved 25 December 2007. 
11. ^ Patrika, Naya (19 June 2007). "Little King". Nepali Times. http://www.nepalitimes.com/issue/354/FromtheNepaliPress/13662. Retrieved 31 July 2007. 
12. ^ "Nepal ex-prince's family leaves". BBC. 17 July 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7511770.stm. Retrieved 17 August 2008. 
13. ^ "Ex-princess Himani leaves for Singapore". Kantipur.com. 17 July 2008. http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?nid=153862. Retrieved 17 August 2008. 

External links

• Baby Royal
• News story on the Annaprasan ceremony
• Article on Prince Hridayendra
• Rice feeding ceremony held for Nepal's baby prince
• Nepal's little prince turns five

Prince Hridayendra of Nepal Shah dynasty Born: 30 July 2002
Nepalese royalty
Preceded by Paras, Crown Prince of Nepal	Line of succession to the Nepalese Throne 2nd position	Last in line

Persondata
Name	Hridayendra
Alternative names	Shah Dev, Hridayendra Bir Bikram
Short description	Second in line to the Nepalese throne
Date of birth	30 July 2002
Place of birth	Kathmandu, Nepal
Date of death
Place of death