Nepal palace to become museum of royal life

The deposed King of Nepal's former palace is to be converted into a museum offering a glimpse of royal life, including the throne and a vintage car given as a gift by Adolf Hitler.

Displays will include valuable artefacts accumulated by the Shah dynasty in its 239-year rule of the Himalayan nation.

The palace in Katmandu was formally renamed the Narayanhiti Palace Museum at a government ceremony yesterday, days after the king moved out.

Nepal outlawed the monarchy and declared itself a republic last month after elections in which former communist rebels won the most seats in a special assembly charged with rewriting the constitution.

Police and soldiers escorted King Gyanendra and his wife, Komal, from the palace last week. The couple moved to Nagarjung, a summer retreat on top of a forested hill just west of Katmandu.

The Narayanhiti palace had been King Gyanendra's home since 2001 when he took over the throne following the assassination of his brother, King Birendra.

A 1939 Mercedes Benz given by the Hitler to King Tribhuvan, Gyanendra's grandfather, will be restored and displayed at the museum.

But the main attraction is expected be the king's extravagant crown, studded with precious stones including diamonds, emeralds and rubies and made for King Mahendra, Gyanendra's father, half a century ago.

King Gyanendra became unpopular after he seized absolute power in 2005. He was forced to give up his authoritarian rule a year later following weeks of pro-democracy protests.