by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Credit – Wikipedia

Born on December 27, 1949, in Swaziland, now Eswatini, Queen Mother Ntfombi Tfwala of Eswatini was one of the 70 wives of King Sobhuza II of Swaziland and has been the joint head of state of Swaziland, called Eswatini since 2018, along with her son King Mswati III of Swaziland, from 1986 – present. Ntfombi Tfwala had one child with King Sobhuza II of Swaziland, a son Prince Makhosetive Dlamini, now King Mswati III of Swaziland.

A Swazi king cannot appoint his successor, nor is there a line of succession. A traditional council called the Liqoqo decides which of the wives shall be “Great Wife” and “Indlovukati” (She-Elephant / Queen Mother) after the death of a king. The “Great Wife” must be of good character and cannot be one of the first two wives (known as ritual wives) chosen for the king by the council. The son of this “Great Wife” will automatically become the next king.

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King Sobhuza II of Swaziland in 1976

However, King Sobhuza II did something a bit different. He designated another of his wives, Dzeliwe Shongwe, as the Indlovukati. Instead of recognizing one of Dzeliwe Shongwe’s sons as his heir apparent, he indicated to his council that he wanted Prince Makhosetive Dlamini, Ntfombi Tfwala’s 14-year-old son, to succeed him on the throne.

On August 21, 1982, King Sobhuza II died at the age of 83, having reigned for 82 years. Dzeliwe Shongwe was named by the council as the Queen Regent until Prince Makhosetive Dlamini, designated by King Sobhuza II as his successor, reached the age of eighteen. However, soon there were disagreements between members of the council and Queen Regent Dzeliwe Shongwe which ultimately led to her being replaced by Ntfombi Tfwala, the mother of Prince Makhosetive Dlamini. Ntfombi Tfwala served as Queen Regent until her son reached the age of eighteen.

Reigning Queens by Andy Warhol; Credit – Artnet

Queen Regent Ntfombi Tfwala immediately showed that she had the temperament to deal with the problems of the people and the modernization of Swaziland. In 1985, artist Andy Warhol made a series of silkscreen portraits of living Reigning Queens. Ntfombi Tfwala was included along with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

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Coronation of King Mswati III

On April 25, 1986, 18-year-old Prince Makhosetive Dlamini was crowned King of Swaziland under the name Mswati III and Mswati named his mother Ntfombi Tfwala the Indlovukati (She-Elephant/Queen Mother). By tradition, the King of Swaziland reigns along with his mother, the Indlovukati and decisions are made jointly. The King is viewed as the administrative head of government and the Indlovukati is viewed as the spiritual and national head of state. Since 2006, the new constitution provides for the absolute power of the King and the Indlovukati. The parliament is a consultative body and there are no longer any political parties. Ntfombi Tfwala has her own residence, Ludzindzini Palace, in Lobamba, the traditional, spiritual, and legislative capital city of Eswatini, and the seat of the Parliament. Mswati III lives about 6 miles/10 kilometers away at the Lozitha Palace.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Eswatini. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eswatini> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Ntfombi Of Eswatini. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ntfombi_of_Eswatini> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2014. King Mswati III Of Eswatini (Formerly Swaziland). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-mwsati-iii-of-swaziland/> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
• It.wikipedia.org. 2020. Ntfombi Dello Swaziland. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ntfombi_dello_Swaziland> [Accessed 17 August 2020].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

King Sobhuza II of Swaziland; Credit – By The National Archives UK, OGL v1.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68438657

King Sobhuza II of Swaziland was the Paramount Chief and King of Swaziland, from 1899 – 1982, for 82 years and 254 days. Because Swaziland was a British protectorate from 1906 to 1968 and not a sovereign state, Sobhuza is not on the list of internationally recognized monarchs of a sovereign state. He was an internationally recognized monarch of a sovereign state for fourteen years, from when Swaziland was granted independence in 1968 until he died in 1982. However, he is number one on the list of longest reigning monarchs of dependent or constituent states.

Sobhuza (also known as Nkhotfotjeni) was born on July 22, 1899, at Zombodze Royal Residence in Zombodze, Swaziland, the son of King Ngwane V of Swaziland and Labotsibeni Mdluli, also known as Gwamile. On December 10, 1899, King Ngwane V died, aged 23, during the sacred incwala ceremony. His death, speculated to be caused by poisoning, was not announced until the ceremony was over. In Swaziland, called Eswatini since 2018, there is no heir to the throne. A special traditional council called the Liqoqo decides which of the king’s wives shall be “Great Wife” and “Indlovukazi” (She-Elephant / Queen Mother). The son of this “Great Wife” will automatically become the next king. The council then chose Ngwane’s wife Labotsibeni Mdluli and their four-month-old son Sobhuza to be Queen Mother and King. Labotsibeni Mdluli also served as regent until her son came of age.

Sobhuza was educated at the Swazi National School in Zombodze, Swaziland and the Lovedale Institution in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. In 1903, after the British victory in the Second Boer War, Swaziland became a British protectorate. Sobhuza’s title changed from King of Swaziland to Paramount Chief of the Swaziland Protectorate and would remain so until Swaziland received its independence from the United Kingdom. Sobhuza had a mostly ceremonial role during the period Swaziland was a British Protectorate, but he still had major influence as a traditional head of the Swazi nation.

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Sobhuza, on the right, arrives in London in 1953 to attend the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

Sobhuza was quite influential in the events leading to Swaziland’s independence. He rejected the constitution proposed by the British government, in which he would become a constitutional monarch. Instead, Sobhuza formed the Imbokodvo National Movement, a political party, which contested and won all seats in the 1967 pre-independence elections. In 1967, when Swaziland was given direct rule, Sobhuza was once again recognized as King of Swaziland. Swaziland received complete independence from the United Kingdom on September 6, 1968. Following the elections of 1973, the constitution of Swaziland was suspended by King Sobhuza II who ruled the country by decree until he died in 1982.

Despite being an absolute monarch, Sobhuza was able to blend traditional tribal customs with strategies to manage economic and social change in Swaziland. In 1978, a new constitution was adopted providing for a tribal mode of rule involving an electoral college of eighty members chosen by forty local tribal councils. Much of Swaziland’s and natural resources were originally owned by non-Swazi interests were brought under Swazi control during Sobhuza’s reign.

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King Sobhuza in 1976

Despite converting to Christianity, King Sobhuza continued to observe traditional customs, including taking a new wife every year. This event took place at a ceremony called the Reed Dance where local young women dance in traditional costume, bare-breasted, for the king’s pleasure. As a result, King Sobhuza II married 70 wives, who gave him 210 children between 1920 and 1970. About 180 children survived infancy. At his death, he had more than 1,000 grandchildren. Sobhuza died on August 21, 1982, aged 83, in Mbabane, Swaziland.

The king’s body lay in state at the Royal Kraal, a traditional African village of huts, in Lobamba, Swaziland. The funeral was held near the Royal Kraal, in the Somhlolo Stadium. More than 20,000 people attended the funeral, including dignitaries from twenty-four countries. After the funeral, Sobhuza was entombed in the mountain cave burial grounds, the Royal Burial Ground in Nhlangano, Shiselweni, Eswatini, in a private ceremony attended only by court officials. Following Swazi custom, only three people knew the actual burial spot.

A Swazi king cannot appoint his successor, nor is there a line of succession. A traditional council called the Liqoqo decides which of the wives shall be “Great Wife” and “Indlovukati” (She-Elephant / Queen Mother) after the death of a king. The “Great Wife” must be of good character and cannot be one of the first two wives (known as ritual wives) chosen for the king by the national councilors. The son of this “Great Wife” will automatically become the next king. One of Sobhuza’s many sons, 14-year-old Mswati, was selected to be the next king reigning as King Mswati III.  From 1982-1986, two wives of the late King Sobhuza II, Queen Dzeliwe Shongwe, and Mswati’s mother, Queen Ntfombi Tfwala, served as regents.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Eswatini. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eswatini> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sobhuza II. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobhuza_II> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2014. King Mswati III Of Eswatini (Formerly Swaziland). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-mwsati-iii-of-swaziland/> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
• profile, V., 2015. The Funeral Of King Sobhuza. [online] Rosehiptrue.blogspot.com. Available at: <http://rosehiptrue.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-funeral-of-king-sobhuza.html> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
• UPI. 1982. King Sobhuza II, The ‘Lion Of Swaziland,’ Was Entombed…. [online] Available at: <https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/08/23/King-Sobhuza-II-the-Lion-of-Swaziland-was-entombed/7971398923200/> [Accessed 17 August 2020].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

King Mswati III of Eswatini; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Note: In 2018, Swaziland was renamed Eswatini.

King Mswati III of Eswatini (born Prince Makhosetive Dlamini) was born on April 19, 1968, at Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital in Manzini in the African country of Swaziland, called Eswatini since 2018.  His parents are King Sobhuza II of Swaziland and one of his younger wives, Ntfombi Tfwala.  King Mswati is one of many sons fathered by King Sobhuza II, but the only child of Ntfombi Tfwala. King Sobhuza II married 70 wives, who gave him 210 children between 1920 and 1970. About 180 children survived infancy. At his death, he had more than 1,000 grandchildren.

King Mswati attended primary school at the Masundwini Royal Residence and then attended the Lozitha Palace School. From 1983 to 1986, Mswati attended Sherborne International College in Dorset, England.

In 1982, King Sobhuza II died at the age of 83, having reigned for 82 years. A Swazi king cannot appoint his successor, nor is there a line of succession. A traditional council called the Liqoqo decides which of the wives shall be “Great Wife” and “Indlovukati” (She-Elephant / Queen Mother) after the death of a king. The “Great Wife” must be of good character and cannot be one of the first two wives (known as ritual wives) chosen for the king by the national councilors. The son of this “Great Wife” will automatically become the next king. 14-year-old Mswati was selected to be the next king. From 1982-1986, two wives of the late King Sobhuza II, Queen Dzeliwe Shongwe (1982–1983) and Mswati’s mother, Queen Ntfombi Tfwala, (1983–1986) served as regents. On April 25, 1986, 18-year-old King Mswati III was crowned. The king and his mother, whose title is Indlovukati (“Great She-Elephant”), rule jointly.

King Mswati’s coronation; Photo Credit – news.bbc.co.uk

Queen Ntfombi, Great She-Elephant; Credit – www.microdinero.com

A Swazi king’s first two wives are chosen for him by the national councilors. These two wives have special functions in rituals and their sons can never become kings. The first wife must be a member of the Matsebula clan and the second must come from the Motsa clan. The king then chooses his other wives, often at a festival called the Reed Dance.  A royal fiancée is called liphovela, or “bride”. They graduate from being fiancées to full wives as soon as they become pregnant when the king customarily marries them. In traditional Swazi culture, the king is expected to marry a woman from every clan in order to cement relationships with each part of Swaziland. This means that the king must have many wives. A listing of King Mswati’s wives and children can be seen here.

Eswatini and King Mswati are not without controversy. The country had the highest AIDs rate in the world, with 26.5% of the population HIV positive. 63% of Swazis live below the poverty line, surviving on less than US$1.25 per day. The king, who rules as an absolute monarch and appoints the prime minister and cabinet, enjoys many lavish parties and lives in luxury. His birthday is celebrated in front of thousands in a stadium where expensive gifts are presented to him on behalf of his people. Quite a few of his wives have complained of abuse and have left him. The mother of one of his wives said her daughter was kidnapped to become the king’s wife.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.