Nepal's last monarch Gyanendra was packing his belongings to vacate the Narayanhiti palace on Wednesday to move to a modest hill resort on the outskirts of the capital city, ending the 240-year-old royal regime.The 60-year-old King will issue a statement at the palace premises before leaving the palace this evening, Phanindra Raj Pathak, senior official of the press secretariat in the palace said."Gyanendra is vacating the palace Wednesday evening as per the government's decision on May 28. He is packing up to prepare for the exit," he said.The last Hindu King of the world Gyanendra lost his crown last month after a Constituent Assembly voted to formally end the 240-year-old institution of monarchy, turning him into an ordinary citizen.The King will hand over his diamond-studded crown and sceptre to the government before leaving the palace. The government has decided to convert the 124-year-old palace of the Shah Kings into a museum.However, two buildings located within the palace complex have been allocated to the King's stepmother Ratna, 82, and grand mother Sarala, 91, as per their requests.The government is looking for a suitable accommodation the country's first president who is yet to be named.The government is likely to select Sheetal Niwas, the Foreign Ministry Office located in Maharajgunj or Bahadur Bhawan, the Election Commission building, as the possible Rastrapati Bhavan, or official residence of the first president of Nepal.The end of Nepal's monarchy is a key part of the 2006 peace deal reached between Nepal's former rebel Maoists and mainstream parties.
