In early June 2001, the Nepalese royals convened at the state residence in Kathmandu for a family dinner as they did every third Friday of the month. As in the past, the event was to be a leisurely private affair with the playing of billiards, rounds of cards and the enjoyment of food, liquor and conversation. It was a chance for the members of the large extended family, both old and young, to come together for an evening's entertainment in the spirit of tradition, duty and unity. What, however, began as a routine gathering soon turned into a tragic blood bath, when rounds of gunfire reverberated through the palace halls. Several members of the royal family were shot to death suddenly and inscrutably. Bringing to mind historic images of the brutal demise of the Romanovs, the Nepalese media initially presumed the massacre to be the handiwork of leftwing, Maoist radicals who were attempting to overthrow the monarchy. In actuality, the insurgency had occurred within the ranks of the royal family itself. Crown Prince Dipendra had shot his father, King Birendra, his mother, Queen Aishwarya, his brother, sister and several other relations, before turning his weapon upon himself. As one news outlet described the ‘brief and violent incident’:

Later media coverage of the happenings exposed the role of courtly women, marriage politics and intra-clan rivalry as motivations for the violence. According to eyewitness accounts, the Eton-educated Dipendra had wished to marry the daughter of a prominent Nepalese Minister and aristocrat, Devyani Rana, who was herself actively engaged in her father's campaigns.