Nepal’s besieged King Gyanendra has quietly left the Narayanhity royal palace from where his ancestors had ruled for generations, marking what is probably his final exit as the last king of a nearly 250-year dynasty.

"The king left the palace for his summer residence Nagarjuna palace around 9 p.m. Thursday (May 22)," said Kishore Shrestha, editor of the Nepali weekly Jana Aastha.

The once Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, whose kings were revered as incarnations of a Hindu god and considered above law, is moving towards a new chapter, as an assembly elected by a historic poll last month is expected to ring the death knell of monarchy next week.

This week, the 601-member constituent assembly will hold its first meeting, which, according to the Maoists who emerged as the biggest party in the poll, will transform Nepal into a republic.

A section of the Nepali media speculated that the strong-willed king would refuse to vacate the palace, and had instructed the contingent of soldiers deployed inside the palace to defend it against "invading mobs".

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood met Maoist chief Prachanda to inquire about the new government and the new head of state.

While the Maoists want an all-powerful president, the other major parties are rooting for a ceremonial president with the prime minister as the real source of power.

Once an omnipotent monarch, Nepal’s kings began losing their power in 1990 when a pro-democracy uprising forced the then king Birendra to lift the ban on political parties and become a constitutional monarch who remained the decorative head of state, while an elected prime minister exercised the real power.

Nepalis feel monarchy would not have come to the present pass had the king and his entire family not perished in a mysterious massacre in the palace in 2001.

Birendra’s younger brother and successor, Gyanendra, stepped out of constitutional monarchy and began controlling the government.

In 2005, dispensing with all subterfuge, he seized power with an army-backed coup and began ruling the kingdom directly.

The 14-month authoritarian royal regime, marked by corruption and nepotism, stoked nationwide protests and forced the king to surrender power in April 2006.

The disenchanted nation then vowed to hold a first-time election to put the monarchy to a vote.

The April 10 election saw 17.6 million voters choose change and welcome the Maoist guerrillas, who had fought a 10-year war trying to overthrow the royal family, while giving the thumbs-down to the king.