There was no public ceremony to mark the anniversary of the death of King Birendra, who was gunned down with nine other royals at Narayanhiti Palace on June 1, 2001 by drunken crown prince Dipendra, who turned the gun on himself, apparently after a row with his parents over his choice of fiancee.

But ordinary Nepalese, many of whom regard the country's monarch as an incarnation of a Hindu god, laid flowers and offered prayers at makeshift memorials across the capital, Kathmandu.

Meanwhile feuding opposition parties missed a Monday deadline set by King Gyanendra -- who sacked the elected government in 2002 - to pick a premier capable of quelling a long-running Maoist rebel uprising.

The opposition was still debating Tuesday whether to find a candidate or hold more protests.

"It has been three years since Birendra's death but the country is still with a very unstable situation," said Bhim Prasad Gauchan, a close associate of the late king who served in the cabinet several times.

Gyanendra, who was out of Kathmandu when the king was murdered, had stayed largely out of politics before ascending the throne of the Shah dynasty, which has ruled the land of Mount Everest since the 18th century.

But while the new king, who had devoted much of his life to environmental conservation, pledged to preserve his late elder brother's commitment to democracy, he has taken a far more hands-on approach to running the kingdom.

Gyanendra in November 2001 ordered the army to fight the Maoist rebels, who had taken control of much of the kingdom in their battle to overthrow the monarchy and set up a communist state.