Kathmandu: Once again the noise for the return of monarchy has intensified in Nepal. Monarchy supporters have shown their strength on the streets of Kathmandu, just ahead of parliamentary elections in March 2026. Even after almost two decades after the end of the monarchy and the formation of a republic, a large section of the public is mobilizing in support of former King Gyanendra Shah. Supporters of the royal family held a massive rally in the capital in an attempt to send a message that the public was growing disillusioned with the current democratic system and were looking back to the king for stability.
Slogans of ‘bring back the king’ echoed in front of the statue of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of the Shah dynasty, a crowd of thousands gathered.
On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Prithvinarayan Shah, who holds a special place in the history of Nepal and the founder of the Shah dynasty, thousands of supporters gathered around his statue in Kathmandu. During this time the atmosphere was completely colored in the colors of monarchy. Protesters chanted deafening slogans such as “We love the king” and “Bring back the king”. Expressing the public sentiment, a protester named Samrat Thapa, who participated in the rally, said that the only and last option left for the country is king and monarchy. Supporters believe that the restoration of the monarchy has become necessary to handle the situation in the direction the country is headed.
People are also disillusioned with the interim government formed after the ‘Generation Z’ movement, unhappy with the lack of action against corruption.
The protest is also significant because it is the monarchists’ first major show of strength since the massive ‘Generation Z’ (youth) movement in September 2025 that overthrew the old government. After that movement, an interim government was formed under the leadership of former Supreme Court judge Sushila Karki. However, there is deep dissatisfaction among the public that even the interim government has not shown the expected pace on issues like corruption, unemployment and bad governance. Delays in corruption cases and political instability have led people to wonder whether abolishing the monarchy in 2008 was the right decision.
This time the protest was peaceful after the violence of March 2025, but the political equation is likely to change before the elections.
It was a matter of relief for the administration that despite the crowd of thousands, the rally was completely peaceful. Police and riot control squads were deployed as a precautionary measure, but no violence was reported. This is also important because two people had died during a similar rally held in March 2025. The popularity of former King Gyanendra Shah is still intact and his supporters believe that the experiment of the republic has proved to be a failure in Nepal. The rally signals a new turning point in Nepalese politics, with the upcoming elections in March 2026 where restoration of the monarchy could emerge as a key election issue.
