Queen Sarala of Nepal?

[Louis Epstein]

A news article reporting Gyanendra's intent to vacate his palace
as demanded by the republican regime indicates that a sticking point
is determining the future residence of his aunt/stepmother Queen Ratna,
widow of King Mahendra,and that of a 94-year-old Queen Sarala,said to
be "his great-grandmother" and "queen grandmother".

This doesn't appear to be a widow of King Tribhubana (and couldn't
be his mother,as his father died 97 years ago),and Royal Ark gives
completely different names for King Mahendra's mother-in-law,who
was bearing children by 1924.

Who is Queen Sarala?

-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

[CJ Buyers]

Post by Louis Epstein
A news article reporting Gyanendra's intent to vacate his palace
as demanded by the republican regime indicates that a sticking point
is determining the future residence of his aunt/stepmother Queen Ratna,
widow of King Mahendra,and that of a 94-year-old Queen Sarala,said to
be "his great-grandmother" and "queen grandmother".
This doesn't appear to be a widow of King Tribhubana (and couldn't
be his mother,as his father died 97 years ago),and Royal Ark gives
completely different names for King Mahendra's mother-in-law,who
was bearing children by 1924.
Who is Queen Sarala?

They are probably talking about Sanu Rani Sarala Devi Shah, née
Tamang, a lesser wife or concubine of King Tribhuvan. Her age is
variously given as between 91 and 94.

Her original "surname" of Shah suggests that she was a married wife
and the original surname that she came from a different caste, so the
marriage would have been morganatic.

She evidently has some sort of place in the family because she was one
of the recipients of decorations given to those who survivved the
palace massacre in 2001.

[s***@gmail.com]

Post by CJ Buyers

Post by Louis Epstein
A news article reporting Gyanendra's intent to vacate his palace
as demanded by the republican regime indicates that a sticking point
is determining the future residence of his aunt/stepmother Queen Ratna,
widow of King Mahendra,and that of a 94-year-old Queen Sarala,said to
be "his great-grandmother" and "queen grandmother".
This doesn't appear to be a widow of King Tribhubana (and couldn't
be his mother,as his father died 97 years ago),and Royal Ark gives
completely different names for King Mahendra's mother-in-law,who
was bearing children by 1924.
Who is Queen Sarala?

They are probably talking about Sanu Rani Sarala Devi Shah, née
Tamang, a lesser wife or concubine of King Tribhuvan. Her age is
variously given as between 91 and 94.
Her original "surname" of Shah suggests that she was a married wife
and the original surname that she came from a different caste, so the
marriage would have been morganatic.
She evidently has some sort of place in the family because she was one
of the recipients of decorations given to those who survivved the
palace massacre in 2001.

Queen Sarala wasn't a Tamang. She belonged to Newari community. Her full name was Sarala Manandhar.

[s***@gmail.com]

Post by Louis Epstein
A news article reporting Gyanendra's intent to vacate his palace
as demanded by the republican regime indicates that a sticking point
is determining the future residence of his aunt/stepmother Queen Ratna,
widow of King Mahendra,and that of a 94-year-old Queen Sarala,said to
be "his great-grandmother" and "queen grandmother".
This doesn't appear to be a widow of King Tribhubana (and couldn't
be his mother,as his father died 97 years ago),and Royal Ark gives
completely different names for King Mahendra's mother-in-law,who
was bearing children by 1924.
Who is Queen Sarala?

The so said grandmother 'Sarala' of ex-King Gyanendra of Nepal is not
entitled 'Queen' or have any special protocals. Sarala is a concubine
of King Tribhuwan, grandfather of King Gyanendra of Nepal. She was a
maid in the palace in her youth and later became a concubine of the
then King. Sarala by birth is of low caste category. The Royal family
of Nepal and its rulers had several concubines in those early years.
These concubines were not given any royal protocals or even seen in
public and were kept away from royal gatherings. Therefore ' Salara'
is not a queen or have any special title in Nepal.

[m***@gmail.com]

Please update your source book for the knowledge regarding this. King Tribhuwan had married other six ladies other than two bada maharanis. He had given queen status to Sarala Devi Shah as per the understanding with two bada maharanis.

[George Knighton]

Post by Louis Epstein
A news article reporting Gyanendra's intent to vacate his palace
as demanded by the republican regime indicates that a sticking point
is determining the future residence of his aunt/stepmother Queen Ratna,
widow of King Mahendra,and that of a 94-year-old Queen Sarala,said to
be "his great-grandmother" and "queen grandmother".
This doesn't appear to be a widow of King Tribhubana (and couldn't
be his mother,as his father died 97 years ago),and Royal Ark gives
completely different names for King Mahendra's mother-in-law,who
was bearing children by 1924.
Who is Queen Sarala?
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

The BBC are referring to her as the King's "grandfather's mistress."

[Rico]

Post by George Knighton

Post by Louis Epstein
A news article reporting Gyanendra's intent to vacate his palace
as demanded by the republican regime indicates that a sticking point
is determining the future residence of his aunt/stepmother Queen Ratna,
widow of King Mahendra,and that of a 94-year-old Queen Sarala,said to
be "his great-grandmother" and "queen grandmother".
This doesn't appear to be a widow of King Tribhubana (and couldn't
be his mother,as his father died 97 years ago),and Royal Ark gives
completely different names for King Mahendra's mother-in-law,who
was bearing children by 1924.
Who is Queen Sarala?
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

The BBC are referring to her as the King's "grandfather's mistress."

Sarala was one of Tribhubana's concubines, she was never a 'mistress'.

[George Knighton]

Post by Rico

Post by George Knighton

Post by Louis Epstein
A news article reporting Gyanendra's intent to vacate his palace
as demanded by the republican regime indicates that a sticking point
is determining the future residence of his aunt/stepmother Queen Ratna,
widow of King Mahendra,and that of a 94-year-old Queen Sarala,said to
be "his great-grandmother" and "queen grandmother".
This doesn't appear to be a widow of King Tribhubana (and couldn't
be his mother,as his father died 97 years ago),and Royal Ark gives
completely different names for King Mahendra's mother-in-law,who
was bearing children by 1924.
Who is Queen Sarala?
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

The BBC are referring to her as the King's "grandfather's mistress."

Sarala was one of Tribhubana's concubines, she was never a 'mistress'.

I cannot pretend to understand why the BBC say what they say. Sitting
way over here, away from it all, I can only assume that they felt that
mistress was the more socially acceptable way of referring to her...at
least more socially acceptable to the West.

[CJ Buyers]

Post by Rico

Post by George Knighton

Post by Louis Epstein
A news article reporting Gyanendra's intent to vacate his palace
as demanded by the republican regime indicates that a sticking point
is determining the future residence of his aunt/stepmother Queen Ratna,
widow of King Mahendra,and that of a 94-year-old Queen Sarala,said to
be "his great-grandmother" and "queen grandmother".
This doesn't appear to be a widow of King Tribhubana (and couldn't
be his mother,as his father died 97 years ago),and Royal Ark gives
completely different names for King Mahendra's mother-in-law,who
was bearing children by 1924.
Who is Queen Sarala?
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

The BBC are referring to her as the King's "grandfather's mistress."

Sarala was one of Tribhubana's concubines, she was never a 'mistress'.

I cannot pretend to understand why the BBC say what they say.  Sitting
way over here, away from it all, I can only assume that they felt that
mistress was the more socially acceptable way of referring to her...at
least more socially acceptable to the West.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Alas, some of the BBC reports are cobbled together from the desk of an
Indian freelance journalist sitting in Bangalore. He is as much away
from it all, in terms of Nepal, as someone atop the moon.