"A king can gain more honour through democracy than autocracy." These epic words were uttered earlier this month by Lord Camoys (former Lord Chamberlain) member of the UK House of Lords and a British royal who was a local guardian to both King Gyanendra and the late King Birendra during their college days in Britain. His visits to Nepal usually take place at the invitation of the palace whenever it is in crisis. He was here on the eve of King Birendra's decision to restore democracy in 1990 and suggested then that the king should not enforce autocratic rule. Now he has returned, at a time when an autocratic-minded palace has proved unsuccessful at using both political and diplomatic channels to stage a comeback. Lord Camoys arrived on 6 September and left after four days. During that time he is believed to have met the king. During a two-hour talk, Lord Camoys suggested to him that it would be better if he rectified his mistake since the February First takeover wasn't working. Prior to meeting the king, the 70-year-old peer had long discussions with well-known royalist leaders and several political figures about the future of the monarchy. He met Soaltee's Prabhakar Shumshere Rana and the RPP's Pashupati Shumshere Rana several times, offering them his insights about the responsibilities of the royal palace and the role it can play during such difficult times. His trip has already raised hopes, especially among those who still recall his 1990 visit. They believe that the king will make a positive move before Dasain.