On the evening of June 1 , 2001 , when the Nepalese royal massacre took place , the Queen Mother was sitting with her sister-in-law Princess Helen Shah in the anteroom , and thus survived . The two women heard the gunshots but did not take them seriously . A few minutes later , Prince Paras came and told them that the Crown Prince Dipendra had shot everybody , including the King . With Dipendra declared King while still in coma , Ratna briefly became the Queen Grandmother of Nepal . She was said to have refused to see the unconscious body of Dipendra , who had allegedly opened fire on the royal family members
Nepalese royal massacre
Nepalese royal massacre
Queen Ratna of Nepal