THE
PRINCESS
HRH Princess Shruti Rajya Laxmi Devi Rana
Her Royal Highness Princess Shruti Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah was the only daughter of Their Majesties King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Queen Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah. She had an elder brother, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah and a younger brother, His Royal Highness Prince Nirajan Bir Bikram Shah.
Known to be quiet, patient and obedient, HRH Princess Shruti was a skilled artist and a passionate horse rider. Although she stayed away from the public sphere for most of her life, she embraced her roles and responsibilities as a member of the royal family and supported the crown when opportunities arose.
EARLY LIFE
HRH Princess Shruti was born on 15 October 1976. She attended Kanti Ishwari Sishu Vidhyalaya for her primary schooling and then joined St. Mary’s School in Kathmandu, Nepal. She later got enrolled in Mayo College Girls’ School in Ajmer, India for her higher secondary education. After graduation she joined Padma Kanya Campus in Nepal from where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction.
Growing up she had a flair for sports and enjoyed horse riding. During her 2 years at Mayo, she earned her place as one of the finest horse riders in the school. She was also a dedicated student who went up to earn a black belt in judo following ten years of training.
On 7 May of 1997, Her Royal Highness Princess Shruti was married to Kumar Gorakh Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana. On 22 June 1998, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter who was named Girwani Rajya Laxmi Rana. Two years later, on 21 October 2000, they had another daughter who was named Surangana Rajya Laxmi Rana.
Her Royal Highness Princess Shruti enjoyed horse riding and continued her lessons even between her two pregnancies and school exams. As a young girl, she enjoyed painting just like a father. Under the careful guidance of her art teacher, she really flourished and proved to be a meritorious painter.
On 1 June 2001, Her Royal Highness Princess Shruti Rajya Laxmi Devi Rana was killed in the Royal massacre. She was among the ten royals who passed away that unfateful day, including her parents and brothers. She was only 24 years old.
