Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev served as the last monarch of Nepal. His first reign was brief, lasting from 1950 to 1951, and he returned to the throne in 2001 following the royal massacre that resulted in the deaths of King Birendra and other members of the royal family. He remained king until 2008, when the monarchy was abolished and Nepal became a republic. Gyanendra's reign ended a centuries-old tradition of monarchy in the country.