In pictures: Nepal in shock

The massacre of most of the royal family has plunged Nepal into a deep state of shock and troubled uncertainty. Nepalis will mourn the violent passing of their King, a publicly revered figure.

As news of the killings emerged, hundreds of mourners gathered at the gates of the Royal Palace in Katmandu

Reading of the massacre in newspapers, a shocked nation tries to come to terms with the news

Tens of thousands of people watched funeral procession of King Birendra

Many of the mourners hysterical with grief as the coffins filed past

The bodies of were cremated on the banks of Bagmati river in Katmandu

The royal family was revered in Nepal with some believing the king was the reincarnation of the Hindu god, Vishnu

Crown Prince Dipendra, on the far left, was heir to the throne

The king's younger brother, Prince Gyanendra, here seen welcoming Prince Philip to Nepal last year, has been appointed regent