Life After the Throne
As King Gyanendra prepares to depart from the Nepalese royal palace, TIME takes a look at how other former and wannabe Monarchs have weathered the loss of their crowns
As an infant, the son of Albania's King Zog was whisked from his homeland ahead of the Fascist invasion in 1939. A tireless aspirant to the throne despite his exile, Leka's first attempt to re-enter the country, in 1993, was stymied because his passport listed his occupation as "king." He would ultimately earn a 1997 referendum on whether to reinstate the monarchy. It fell far short.
Royal Factoid: Leka was expelled from Spain on suspicion of arms dealing, a charge for which he was also arrested in Bangkok.
Bonus Royal Factoid: In the 1960s, the self-styled royal struck up a friendship with Ronald Reagan. As a gift, he sent the future U.S. president a baby elephant named Gertie—a moniker deemed unrefined by Nancy Reagan, who rechristened the animal "GOP."
"I am above all political parties, even my own."
—Leka, explaining why he doesn't vote
—Alex Altman
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