Category Archives: Current Monarchies

King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho; Credit – Wikipedia

Moshoeshoe II was Paramount Chief of Basutoland from 1960 – 1965 and King of Lesotho from 1965 – 1990. The Kingdom of Lesotho is a country completely within the borders of South Africa. From 1822 – 1868, Lesotho was called Basutoland and was ruled by King Moshoeshoe I, the son of a minor tribal chief. In 1868, Basutoland became a British Crown Colony.  Kings and then Paramount Chiefs still held power in Basutoland during the period of British colonization.  During British colonization, the native rulers were known as Paramount Chiefs. Basutoland gained independence from the United Kingdom and became the Kingdom of Lesotho in 1966. King Moshoeshoe II was the first King of the independent country of Lesotho.

King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho was born as Constantine Bereng Seeiso on May 2, 1938, in Morija, Basutoland now in Lesotho. Known as Bereng, his father was Simon Seeiso Griffith (1905 – 1940), Paramount Chief of Basutoland, and his mother was his father’s second wife Mabereng, a woman from the Batlokoa tribe. Bereng had one younger full brother Mathealia, one half-sister Ntšebo from his father’s first marriage to Mantšebo, and one younger half-brother Leshoboro from his father’s third marriage to Maleshoboro. His father Simon Seeiso Griffith died on December 26, 1940, at the age of 35. Although the official medical records say he died of gangrene, it is commonly believed that he was poisoned.

After Simon Seeiso Griffith died in 1940, his first and senior wife Mantšebo (1902 – 1964) became the ruler of Basutoland from 1941 – 1960, as the regent for her two-year-old stepson Bereng, the future Moshoeshoe II. Mantšebo was also made the guardian of Bereng. Mantšebo and Bereng’s mother Mabereng hated each other. Mabereng and her supporters kept Bereng away from the direct control of the regent Mantšebo because they feared she might have him killed.

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British Commonwealth delegates Kghari Seghela (Chief of the Bakwena Tribe), King Sobhuza II  of Swaziland and the future King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho arrive in London to attend the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

As Bereng grew older, his mother began to have more of a say in his affairs. She arranged to have him raised in her Roman Catholic faith and rejected a plan to have him taught at a non-denominational government school. Instead, from 1948 – 1954, Bereng attended the Roman Catholic Roma Primary School in Roma, founded around 1860 as the first Catholic mission station in what is now Lesotho. Further conflict over schooling resulted in a full-scale war between the royal widows which only ended when Bereng left Lesotho to continue his education in the United Kingdom. There he attended Ampleforth College, run by the Benedictine monks, in North Yorkshire, England for his secondary education from 1954 – 1957. Bereng then studied Political Science, Philosophy, and Economics at Corpus Christi College, Oxford University until 1960.

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King Moshoeshoe II, circa 1970

Initially, it was planned that Bereng would take on his role as Paramount Chief of Basutoland at the age of 25. However, a dispute with Mantšebo, the regent, led him to take over the office three years earlier than planned with the support of most of the other tribal chiefs. On March 12, 1960, Bereng took the name of his great-great-grandfather Moshoeshoe I and was sworn in as Moshoeshoe II, Paramount Chief of Basutoland, still a British protectorate. On April 30, 1965, Basotholand became an autonomous kingdom and Moshoeshoe II became king. Basutoland became an independent kingdom under the name of Lesotho on October 4, 1966.

In August 1962, Moshoeshoe II married Tabitha ‘Masentle Lerotholi Mojela (1941 – 2003), daughter of Lerotholi Mojela, Chief of Tsakholo. After her marriage, she was known as Queen Mamohato. The couple had three children:

In 1970, a conflict arose between King Moshoeshoe II and Prime Minister Joseph Leabua Jonathan. The opposition and the king disagreed with Prime Minister Jonathan’s decision to suspend parliament and invalidate the election results, which had been unfavorable for the prime minister. In February 1970, Moshoeshoe II fled to the Netherlands and his wife Mamohato took over as regent. It was not until December 5, 1970, that the king, after promising not to interfere in politics again, was allowed to return to Lesotho.

In January 1986, Prime Minister Jonathan was overthrown in a military coup. The new leader, Major General Justin Metsing Lekhanya, gave the king some legislative and executive duties. However, the king came into conflict with Lekhanya when he admitted that he had single-handedly shot a student and expelled African National Congress (ANC) members from Lesotho.

In February 1990, Moshoeshoe fled to the United Kingdom, and in December 1990, he was deposed and his elder son became king, taking the name Letsie in honor of Letsie I, the eldest son of King Moshoeshoe I, the founder of the Basotho nation. In 1991, Lekhanya lost power and the new army chief, Colonel Elias Phisoana Ramaema, allowed Moshoeshoe to return to Lesotho as a citizen. King Letsie III, who was embarrassed at being king while his father was still alive, tried in vain to persuade the government to reinstate his father as king, and in August 1994 he enacted a new coup d’état with the army. Having obtained power, Letsie promised to return it to the previous government on the condition that Moshoeshoe II would return to being King of Lesotho, achieving this result in 1995.

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President Nelson Mandela of South Africa (left) appears with King Moshoeshoe II (right) during his state visit to Lesotho, July 12, 1995

King Moshoeshoe II’s second reign was brief. In the Maloti Mountains in Lesotho, 57-year-old Moshoeshoe’s car plunged off a mountain road during the early hours of January 15, 1996. The accident also killed his chauffeur. King Moshoeshoe had left at 1:00 AM for a late-night visit to his cattle herds in the royal village at Matsieng. In rural southern Africa, cattle are the prime measure of wealth, so a government statement that the king set out at 1:00 AM to visit his cattle was not a surprise.

Tens of thousands of people attended the funeral ceremony. The procession stretched for miles along the road from the king’s favorite farm in Matsieng to Thaba Bosiu, the birthplace of the Basotho nation, and the burial place of its kings. Behind the king’s coffin, wrapped in the royal standard and borne on a gun carriage, came the limousines of diplomats and dignitaries. Among those attending were Presidents Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Frederick Chiluba of Zambia, and Ketumile Masire of Botswana – the leaders of southern Africa’s big powers. King Moshoeshoe II was buried at Thaba Bosiu, the stronghold of King Moshoeshoe I (reigned 1822 – 1870) and once the capital of Basutoland.

Grave of King Moshoeshoe II; Credit – https://sedativegunk.com

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

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Moshoeshoe II.. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_II.> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. ‘Mantšebo. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%27Mant%C5%A1ebo> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Moshoeshoe II Of Lesotho. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_II_of_Lesotho> [Accessed 25 August 2020].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2020. Moshoeshoe II Van Lesotho. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_II_van_Lesotho> [Accessed 25 August 2020].
  • The Independent. 1996. Lesotho Buries Its Stormy King. [online] Available at: <https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/lesotho-buries-its-stormy-king-1325989.html> [Accessed 25 August 2020].
  • Timesmachine.nytimes.com. 1996. King Of Tiny Land Circled By South Africa Dies In Car Plunge. [online] Available at: <https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1996/01/16/076350.html?pageNumber=4> [Accessed 25 August 2020].
  • Washington Post. 1996. King Moshoeshoe II Dies At 57. [online] Available at: <https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/01/16/king-moshoeshoe-ii-dies-at-57/8734198f-b7db-4c18-a9c0-ce0efc1cc147/> [Accessed 25 August 2020].

Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, Mistress of King George II of Great Britain

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, became the mistress of the future King George II of Great Britain in 1714 and maintained a relationship with him until 1734.

source: Wikipedia

Henrietta Hobart was born in 1689 at Blickling Hall in Norfolk, the family home of her parents, Sir Henry Hobart, 4th Baronet of Intwood, and Elizabeth Maynard. Sir Henry had been in the household of King William III of England, serving as Gentleman of the Horse, and later found under the King during the Battle of the Boyne. He was later appointed Vice-Admiral of Norfolk, and served in the House of Commons, representing several different constituencies.

Henrietta had two siblings:

In 1698, Her father died from injuries sustained during a duel, and her mother died of illness three years later. Orphaned at just 12 years old, Henrietta became the ward of Henry Howard, the 5th Earl of Suffolk. Five years later, she married the Earl’s younger son, Charles Howard, on March 2, 1706. Charles would eventually become the 9th Earl of Suffolk in 1731. From all reports, the marriage was an unhappy one. Charles was a compulsive gambler and drinker and was often physically abusive to Henrietta. However, the couple did have one son together:

In 1714, Henrietta and her husband traveled to Hanover, with the hope of getting into the circle of the future King George I and securing themselves a better financial future. Their venture was successful, and following George’s accession to the British throne, the couple returned to England and both received positions within the Royal Household. Charles was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber to the new King, and Henrietta was appointed a Woman of the Bedchamber to the new Princess of Wales, Caroline of Ansbach. Through this role, Henrietta met and became the mistress of the Prince of Wales – the future King George II.

The Prince of Wales, c1716. source: Wikipedia

Over the next several years, Henrietta and George’s relationship continued to strengthen. Her husband, however, was not pleased with the situation. He found that his wife was benefiting greatly from the generosity of the Prince of Wales, while he was not seeing any of the same things. Threatening to cause a scandal, he was quickly compensated in exchange for looking the other way. The Prince of Wales arranged for Charles to be given a large annual pension, an appointment as Deputy Lieutenant of Essex, and a high-ranking commission in the Coldstream Guards. The couple maintained their marriage publicly, but for the most part, lived separate lives. They would later officially separate in 1727.

Marble Hill House. photo:By Jim Linwood from London – North Face Of Marble Hill House, Twickenham – London., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50570204

That same year, in 1723, the Prince of Wales also gave Henrietta a very large gift of about 11,500 in stocks, along with jewelry, furniture, and other furnishings. Careful to be sure that this would benefit Henrietta alone, George made sure that it was stipulated that Henrietta’s husband would have no claim to any of this gift. The following year, through a trustee, Henrietta purchased a large tract of over 25 acres of land along the River Thames in Twickenham. There she had a villa built over the next several years – Marble Hill House. There, Henrietta hosted some of the most influential artists, intellectuals, and politicians of the day, establishing a court that could be said to rival that of Kensington Palace.

In 1727, several major changes happened in Henrietta’s life. King George I died, and the Prince of Wales succeeded as King George II. Continuing with her service to the royal court, she was appointed Mistress of the Robes to the new Queen Caroline. Around the same time, she and her estranged husband Charles officially separated but did not divorce due to the scandal it would have caused. In 1731, Charles succeeded to the Earldom, and Henrietta became the Countess of Suffolk.

Widowed in 1733, the now Dowager Countess of Suffolk left the royal court in 1734 after the end of her relationship with the King. She made Marble Hill House her primary residence and soon married again in 1735. Her second husband was The Honourable George Berkeley, a younger son of the 2nd Earl of Berkeley, and a Member of Parliament. She and her husband raised the children of her brother, who had been widowed several years earlier, and enjoyed a very quiet and happy family life. Henrietta and her husband, from all accounts, were tremendously happy together and spent their time traveling in Europe and enlarging and renovating Marble Hill House and the surrounding park.

George Berkeley died in 1746, and Henrietta spent her remaining years at Marble Hill House with her extended family. She died there on July 26, 1767.

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.

King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Kingdom of Tonga: Tonga consists of 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited, in the south Pacific Ocean, about 1,100 miles/1,800 kilometers northeast of New Zealand’s North Island.

Tonga has long been a monarchy and by the 12th century, Tonga and its Paramount Chiefs had a strong reputation throughout the central Pacific Ocean. Tonga became a kingdom in 1845 and has been ruled by the House of Tupou. From 1900 to 1970, Tonga had a protected state status with the United Kingdom which looked after its foreign affairs under a Treaty of Friendship.

The order of succession to the throne of Tonga was established in the 1875 constitution. The crown descends according to male-preference cognatic primogeniture – a female can succeed if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants.

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Credit – By The original uploader was Tauʻolunga at Tongan Wikipedia. – Transferred from to.wikipedia to Commons., CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49474153

King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga was born on July 4, 1918, at the Royal Palace in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga, the eldest of the three sons of Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga and her husband Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi.

Tonga royal family, circa 1930, Front (L to R): Prince Uiliami Tukuʻaho, Prince Sione Ngū Manumataong;  Seated (L to R): Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, Queen Sālote Tupou III; Back (L to R): Prince Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Tupoulahi (later King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV), Princess Fusipala, half-sister of Queen Salote; Credit – By Unknown author – Wood-Ellem, Elizabeth (1999) Queen Sālote of Tonga: The Story of an Era 1900–1965, Auckland, N.Z: Auckland University Press, pp. 144–145 ISBN: 978-0-8248-2529-4. OCLC: 262293605., CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1211166

Tāufaʻāhau Tupou had two younger brothers:

  • Prince Uiliami Tuku‘aho (1920 – 1936), died as a teenager
  • Prince Sione Ngū Manumataongo (1922 – 1999), married Melenaite Tupoumoheofo Veikune, had four daughters and two sons

Tāufaʻāhau Tupou in 1928; Credit – Wikipedia

Tāufaʻāhau Tupou began his education at a school run by the Free Wesleyan Church in Tonga and continued at Tupou College, a Methodist boys’ secondary boarding school in Toloa, Tonga. While at Tupou College, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou began competing in the pole vault, and by the age of fourteen, he held the Tonga pole vault record, a record that stood for many years.

Tāufaʻāhau Tupou pole vaulting, circa 1935; Credit – By Unknown author – Kalonikali ʻo Tonga, 2006-9-14Page 10 of His majesty king tafufa’ahau tupou iv of the kingdom of tonga’, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1211150

In 1932, at the age of 14, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou was sent to Newington College, an exclusive boys’ secondary school located in Stanmore, near Sydney, Australia. While at Newington College, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou was a member of the athletic (track) team and competed in the pole vault. After finishing his secondary education at Newington College, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou attended the University of Sydney in Australia from 1938-1942, receiving both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree.

Tāufaʻāhau Tupou is seated on the far right with his fellow athletic team members; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon graduating from university, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou returned to Tonga and began a career in government. His mother Queen Sālote appointed him Minister of Education in 1943, Minister of Health in 1944, and in 1949, he was appointed Prime Minister of Tonga, a position he held until he became King of Tonga in 1965. Tāufaʻāhau Tupou was a lay preacher of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga until his death.

On June 10, 1946, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou married Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe (1926 – 2017) and the couple had four children:

  • King George Tupou V (1948 – 2012), unmarried
  • Princess Royal Salote Mafileʻo Pilolevu Tuita (born 1951), married Siosaʻia Maʻulupekotofa, Lord Tuita of ʻUtungake, had four daughters
  • Prince Fatafehi ʻAlaivahamamaʻo Tukuʻaho (1953 – 2004), married (1) Heimataura Seiloni, a commoner so he was stripped of his royal titles, his wife died in 1985 (2) Alaile’ula Poutasi Jungblut, had four children
  • King Tupou VI (born 1959), married Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, daughter of the Baron Vaea, a former Prime Minister of Tonga, had one daughter and two sons
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Coronation of Tongan King Taufa’auhau Tupou IV

Upon the death of his mother Queen Sālote Tupou III in 1965, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou became King of Tonga. Taufa’ahau Tupou IV was crowned King of Tonga in a Methodist ceremony on July 4, 1967, his 49th birthday, at the Royal Chapel on the grounds of the Royal Palace in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga. Tongans from the outer islands had been arriving in the capital Nuku’alofa for a month. Dignitaries who attended included the Duke and Duchess of Kent representing Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.

In 1970, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou proclaimed Tonga’s full independence from the United Kingdom, which had held Tonga as a protectorate since 1900. For most of his reign, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou had the respect and loyalty of his subjects and other leaders in the South Pacific but toward the end of his reign, he faced increasing dissent. In 2005, thousands of people took to the streets to demand democracy and public ownership of key assets. Like his mother Queen Sālote, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou‘s stature was notable. He was 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 440 pounds. In the 1990s, he took part in a national fitness campaign, and by his 80th birthday, in 1998, he had lost 286 pounds.

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King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, age 84, relaxing in the Royal Palace, 2002

On September 10, 2006, 88-year-old King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga died at Mercy Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. His funeral, which blended Christian and ancient Polynesian burial rites, was held on September 19, 2006, in the Tongan capital, Nukuʻalofa. Thousands of Tongans attended the funeral along with many foreign dignitaries, including Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, Vanuatu President Kalkot Mataskelekele, American Samoan Governor Togiola Tulafono, Niue Premier Vivian Young, and the Duke of Gloucester representing his cousin of Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom. King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga was buried his mother Queen Sālote at Malaʻekula, the royal burial grounds in Nukuʻalofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga.

Tongan Royal Tombs, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou’s tomb is the first statue on the right; Credit – Around the Globe with the Rosens

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

  • Baker, Simon, 2006. King’s Funeral Mixes Tongan, Western Traditions. [online] The Age. Available at: <https://www.theage.com.au/world/kings-funeral-mixes-tongan-western-traditions-20060920-ge364c.html> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • BBC News. 2006. Tongan King Tupou IV Dies At 88. [online] Available at: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5333318.stm> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C4%81ufa%CA%BB%C4%81hau_Tupou_IV> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • NYtimes.com. 2006. King Taufa’Ahau Tupou IV, Ruler Of Tonga, Dies At 88. [online] Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/11/world/asia/11tonga.html?ref=oembed> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • NZ Herald. 2006. King’s Funeral Brings Capital To Halt. [online] Available at: <https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10401988> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • The Guardian. 2006. Obituary: King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV Of Tonga. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/sep/20/guardianobituaries.rogercowe> [Accessed 8 September 2020].

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Credit – Wikipedia

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait reigned for only nine days in January 2006 before abdicating due to illness. Originally a sheikhdom ruled by local sheikhs, Kuwait became a British Protectorate in 1899. The sheikhs still had power during the British Protectorate. Kuwait was granted independence in 1961 and Saad’s father Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 11th Ruler of Kuwait became the first Emir of Kuwait. The rulers of Kuwait belong to the House of Al-Sabah.

The Emir of Kuwait is nominated by a family council headed by prominent members of the family. The Crown Prince of Kuwait is also nominated by the family council and must be a senior member of the House of Al-Sabah. Both the Emir and the Crown Prince must be approved by the Kuwaiti parliament.

Born in 1930 in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah was the son of Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1895 – 1965), the 11th Ruler and 1st Emir of Kuwait and Jamila, “an African lady.” His father married four times and Saad had two half-brothers and three half-sisters.

Saad was educated at the Al-Mubarakiya School in Kuwait City which was established in 1911 as one of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions. He then attended the Hendon Police College in Hendon, England, the principal training center for London’s Metropolitan Police Service.

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Crown Prince Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah (left) and Emir Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah (right) on November 05, 1991

On February 16, 1978, the family council named Saad the Crown Prince of Kuwait. He also held the following positions:

  • Deputy Chief of Kuwait City Police (1954-1959)
  • Member of the Supreme Council (1955-1961)
  • Deputy Director of the Police and Public Security Department (1959-1961)
  • President of the Police and Public Security Department (1961-1962)
  • Minister of the Interior (1962-1978)
  • Minister of Defence (1965-1978)
  • Prime Minister and President Council of Ministers (1978-1991, 1992-2003)
  • President of the Supreme Defence Council, the Supreme Petroleum Council, the Civil Service Commission, and the Higher Council of Housing

President Ronald Reagan during a working visit at the White House of Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sabah of Kuwait on July 12, 1988

In 1948, Saad married Latifa bint Fahad Al-Sabah, daughter of his uncle Fahad bin Salim Al-Sabah. Saad and Latifah had five daughters and one son:

  • Mariam bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1949 – 1994), unmarried, died in a car accident
  • Hussa bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1950), married and divorced Badr bin Nasir Al-Sabah, had one son
  • Jamayal bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1952), married (1) ‘Abdu’l-Halim Chamma, had one daughter, divorced (2) Shahzada Masud Mirza, no children
  • Shekha bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1954 – 2003), unmarried, died from cancer
  • Fadia bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1959), married (1) Fahad bin Salim Al-Sabah, no children, divorced (2) Salman bin Sabah Al-Salim Al-Hamud Al-Sabah, has one son and three daughters
  • Fahad bin Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1960), married Mana’al bint Muhammad Al-Wazzan, had five sons and one daughter

In April 1997, Saad suffered from internal hemorrhaging which required surgery. He then went to the United Kingdom for tests and treatment, returning to Kuwait in October 1997. However, his health continued to be a problem and he needed to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He eventually developed colon issues and was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Saad’s health issues led to speculation that he would abdicate his position as Crown Prince, however, a statement issued in November 2005 contradicted these speculations. Upon the death of Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait on January 15, 2006, Saad became the 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait. When Saad was seen in a wheelchair at Jaber’s funeral, his fitness to be Emir of Kuwait was questioned by members of the Kuwaiti parliament. An internal discussion within the Kuwaiti royal family made Saad decide to abdicate. On January 24, 2006, the Kuwaiti parliament voted Saad out of office, moments before an official letter of abdication was received. The Kuwait Cabinet nominated Prime Minister Sabah bin Ahmad Al-Sabah to take over as Emir as expected.

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait died on May 13, 2008, at the age of 78, at Shaab Palace in Kuwait City, Kuwait. He was buried at the Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Kuwait.

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Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery

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

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. سعد العبد الله السالم الصباح. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D8%B9%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AD> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saad_Al-Salim_Al-Sabah> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2020. Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saad_Al-Abdullah_Al-Salim_Al-Sabah> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Royal Ark: Kuwait Royal Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Kuwait/kuwait16.htm> [Accessed 24 August 2020].

Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah reigned as the 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait from 1977 – 2006. He was Emir of Kuwait during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and the subsequent Persian Gulf War. Originally a sheikhdom ruled by local sheikhs, Kuwait became a British Protectorate in 1899. The sheikhs still had power during the British Protectorate. Kuwait was granted independence in 1961 and Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 11th Ruler of Kuwait became the first Emir of Kuwait. The rulers of Kuwait belong to the House of Al-Sabah.

The Emir of Kuwait is nominated by a family council headed by prominent members of the family. The Crown Prince of Kuwait is also nominated by the family council and must be a senior member of the House of Al-Sabah. Both the Emir and the Crown Prince must be approved by the Kuwaiti parliament.

Born on June 29, 1926, in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Jaber III was the son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 10th ruler of Kuwait and Sheikha Bibi Al-Salem Al-Sabah, daughter of the 9th ruler of Kuwait, Salem Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. Jaber’s father had ten wives and 24 children.

Jaber had one full-sibling, a sister Sheikha Badriya Al-Ahmad. His prominent half-siblings include:

Jaber’s father Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah had a prominent role in his upbringing. Ahmad was open-minded and was interested in culture and education. Jaber was educated at the Al-Mubarakiya School which was established in 1911 as one of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions, and the Ahmadiyya School, established in 1921, another of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions. He also received private instruction in religion, Arabic language and literature, the English language, and the sciences. After he completed his education, Jaber’s father allowed him to travel so he could learn about the culture and conditions of other people. The first of Jaber’s 51 children (he had 22 sons and 29 daughters) was born in 1945 and so he married the first of his 20 wives sometime in the early 1940s. For information on his family, see Royal Ark: Kuwait – Al-Sabah Genealogy.

After the death of Jaber’s father Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in 1950, two sons of Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, 9th Ruler of Kuwait were chosen by the family council to be Ruler of Kuwait: Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah (reigned 1950 – 1965) and Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah (reigned 1965 – 1977). During this time period, a new constitution was enacted and Kuwait gained its independence from the United Kingdom. Jaber served as Minister of Finance from 1959 – 1965 and as Prime Minister of Kuwait from 1965 – 1978. On May 31, 1966, the family council appointed Jaber Heir Apparent with the title of Crown Prince.

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Jaber III, Emir of Kuwait (second from the left) and Queen Elizabeth II  watch a display of folk dancing during the Queen’s state visit to Kuwait on February 13,  1979

Upon the death of Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah on December 31, 1977, Jaber became the 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait. Unlike many other rulers in the Middle East, Emir Jaber stood out for his modest style. He declined to put his own image on the nation’s currency and he lived in what Kuwaitis considered a relatively simple home. The Kuwaiti people often referred to him as Baba Jaber or Father Jaber.  On February 16, 1978, the family council named Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, eldest son of Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, 11th Ruler and First Emir of Kuwait (reigned 1950 – 1965) as the Crown Prince of Kuwait.

From 1980 – 1988, Kuwait found itself geographically in the middle of the Iran- Iraq War. Among the many security threats during that time period was an assassination attempt. On May 25, 1985, a car bomb was detonated by remote control as Jaber’s motorcade was traveling to his office at Seif Palace in Kuwait City. Three people were killed but Jaber was only showered with broken glass and suffered minor cuts and bruises.

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Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait speaks to the press on the South Lawn of the White House on September 28, 1990, after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq

On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, which resulted in the seven-month-long Iraqi occupation. Within hours of the invasion, Jaber and his government went to Saudi Arabia where they ran the Kuwaiti government from a hotel in Ta’if, Saudi Arabia. When the Gulf War ended in February 1991, Jaber remained in Saudi Arabia while declaring three months of martial law to ensure the safety of the people and to ensure that there were no Iraqis still in Kuwait who may attempt once again to overthrow the government. Jaber and his government returned to Kuwait on March 15, 1991. The Kuwaiti people remember Emir Jaber as the man who rebuilt their county after American-led forces drove Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi occupation troops from Kuwait in 1991.

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Jaber III, Emir of Kuwait, prays as he disembarks his plane March 15, 1991, upon his arrival in Kuwait after his in exile in Saudi Arabia during the Iraqi occupation of his country

Jaber suffered from some health problems in his last years, and he traveled outside Kuwait to receive treatment a number of times, including in September 2001, when he suffered a stroke and went to the United Kingdom for treatment. On January 15, 2006, Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 3rd Emir of Kuwait, aged 79, died from a cerebral hemorrhage at Dasman Palace in Kuwait City, Kuwait. His funeral and burial were attended by thousands of Kuwaitis and a number of Arab heads of state including King Abdullah II of Jordan. Wrapped in a Kuwaiti flag, Jaber’s body was buried in a simple, sand grave bordered with white stones at the Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Kuwait.

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Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery

Crown Prince Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah did succeed Jaber as the 14th Ruler and the 4th Emir of Kuwait. However, after a nine-day reign, Saad, who suffered from colon cancer, abdicated. On January 24, 2006, the Kuwaiti parliament voted Saad out of office, moments before an official letter of abdication was received. The Kuwait Cabinet nominated Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah bin Ahmad Al-Sabah to take over as Emir as expected.

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

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. جابر الأحمد الصباح. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AD> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaber_Al-Ahmad_Al-Sabah> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • euronews. 2006. Crowds Mourn At Funeral Of Kuwait Ruler. [online] Available at: <https://www.euronews.com/2006/01/15/crowds-mourn-at-funeral-of-kuwait-ruler> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • Kentucky New Era. 1985. Emir Of Kuwait’s Motorcade Bombed On Highway, 3 Killed. [online] Available at: <https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19850524&id=l3o1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=9uAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1282,3749546> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • Nytimes.com. 2006. Sheik Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, The Leader Of Kuwait For 28 Years, Is Dead At 79. [online] Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/16/world/middleeast/sheik-jaber-alahmad-alsabah-the-leader-of-kuwait-for-28.html> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • Reuters Archive Licensing. 2006. Thousands Of Kuwaitis Attend The Funeral Of Their Emir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/351092> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Royal Ark: Kuwait – Al-Sabah Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Kuwait/kuwait16.htm> [Accessed 21 August 2020].

Sybille de Selys Longchamps, Mistress of King Albert II of the Belgians

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps was the mistress of the future King Albert II of the Belgians from the mid-1960s until the early 1980s. Their child, Delphine Boël, now Her Royal Highness Princess Delphine of Belgium, is well-known to many for having pursued legal acknowledgment of her parentage. This was finally received in early 2020.

Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps in a television interview in 2013. source: VRT News

Sybille was born on August 28, 1941, in Uccle, Belgium, the second child of Count Michel François de Selys Longchamps and Countess Pauline Cornet de Ways-Ruart. Her father had served valiantly in the Belgian military and was active in the resistance during World War II. He later served as Belgian Ambassador to numerous countries, including the Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, and the United States. She had five siblings:

  • Michel (1938) – married Florence van den Perre
  • Anne-Michèle (1942) – married Barn Henry van der Straeten Waillet
  • Jean-Patrick (1944) – married Margaret de Brouwer
  • Daniel (1946) – unmarried
  • Nathalie (1951) – married Guy Verhaeghe de Naeyer

In 1962, Sybille married Jonkheer Jacques Boël, a wealthy industrialist. About four years later, Sybille first met the future King Albert (then Prince of Liège) in Athens, Greece, where her father was serving as Ambassador, and Albert and his wife were on holiday. Several months later, she was invited to a dinner and seated right next to him. Soon, the two began an affair that reportedly lasted until around 1982. In 1968, Sybille gave birth to a daughter – Delphine – who was registered as the daughter of Jacques Boël.

Albert of Belgium, c1964. source: Wikipedia

Despite their marriages, Sybille and Albert maintained their relationship for many years, and according to Delphine years later, Albert even considered divorcing his wife but Sybille talked him out of it. For reasons unknown, Albert reportedly ended their affair somewhat abruptly in 1982, ending all contact with Sybille and their daughter. By then, Sybille had divorced her first husband (in 1978), and in 1982 she remarried to the Honourable Michael-Anthony Rathbone Cayzer, a younger son of Herbert Cayzer, 1st Baron Rocherwick. Sybille and her daughter then lived in England until Cayzer’s death in 1990. Since then, she has split her time between Belgium and Provence.

In 1999, in a biography of Queen Paola, the first public allegation was made of Sybille’s affair with Albert and the subsequent birth of their daughter. The Belgian royal court quickly dismissed the report as “gossip”, but later that year, the King seemed to make reference to the situation. In his Christmas message, he spoke of a “crisis” in his marriage some 30 years earlier that they had overcome, but of which they had been recently reminded. That would be the last public statement on the matter for many years.

Having spoken publicly about the matter for several years, in June 2013, Delphine filed a lawsuit asking that King Albert and two of his legitimate children provide DNA samples in order to prove her lineage. In September of that year, Sybille appeared on a television program entitled “Our Daughter is Called Delphine”, in which she detailed her relationship with the King and the birth of their child together.

Delphine Boël. photo: By Luc Van Braekel – https://www.flickr.com/photos/lucvanbraekel/2407637011/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26839140

By March 2017, the courts had dismissed Delphine’s lawsuit. But she continued to pursue the matter, and after Jacques Boël was proven to not be her father, a Belgian court instructed the now-former King Albert to provide a DNA sample. Albert appealed the ruling, unsuccessfully, and was assessed with a fine of €5,000 per day until he cooperated. Soon, he did provide a sample, and in January 2020, it was made public that the test had proven that he was, in fact, Delphine’s biological father.  In October 2020, the Belgian Court of Appeal ruled that Delphine is entitled to the title of Princess of Belgium as well as the style of Royal Highness.  This also applies to her children.  She is also entitled to inherit one-quarter of the former King’s estate – a share equal to those of his legitimate children.

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.

Ntfombi Tfwala, Queen Mother and Joint Head of State of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland

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].

King Sobhuza II of Swaziland

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

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 in1968 until his death 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’s role during the period Swaziland was a British Protectorate was mostly ceremonial, 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 thereafter 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 which provided 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, one of which was to take 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].

Caroline Lacroix, Mistress of King Leopold II of the Belgians

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Caroline Lacroix was the royal mistress of King Leopold II of the Belgians from 1900 until his death in 1909. She was just sixteen years old when their relationship began, while the King was nearly fifty years her senior.

source: Wikipedia

Blanche Zélia Joséphine Delacroix – later known as Caroline Lacroix – was born in Bucharest, Romania on May 13, 1883, the 13th child of Jules Delacroix and Catherine Josephine Sebille. By the time she was in her mid-teens, she was the mistress of a former French army officer, Antoine-Emmanuel Durrieux, who often arranged from Caroline to provide ‘company’ to other wealthy men, in order to support themselves. It was through these encounters that she caught the attention of King Leopold II of the Belgians.

King Leopold II. source: Wikipedia

The king sent a messenger to arrange a meeting with Caroline which apparently went well enough that the King asked Caroline to accompany him on a trip to Austria. Just sixteen years old at the time, Caroline was far from discreet about her new relationship with the King. It quickly became public knowledge and was discussed widely in the Belgian media. She frequently accompanied Leopold on his travels – including accompanying him to London in 1901 for the funeral of Queen Victoria. Following the death of his wife, Queen Marie Henriette in 1902, Leopold arranged for Caroline to move into Villa Van der Borght, just outside the grounds of the Royal Palace of Laeken. He even had a footbridge built so he could easily visit her there on a regular basis.  The couple had two sons together:

  • Lucien Philippe Marie Antoine ( 1906 –1984), Duke of Tervuren
  • Philippe Henri Marie François (1907 – 1914), Count of Ravenstein

At the time of Lucien’s birth, Leopold granted Caroline the title Baroness de Vaughan, and both sons were given courtesy titles as well. However, these were never formally granted by royal decree, making them strictly honorary titles. Both sons’ births were registered in France with only Caroline’s name.

Caroline with her two sons, c1908. source: Wikipedia

During their relationship, the King lavished Caroline with gifts – including several residences. In addition to Villa Van der Borght in Laeken, he also purchased the Villa Les Cédres in Cap Ferrat 1904 for Caroline to use, and in 1908 he bought and gifted her the Château de Balincourt in northern France. In addition to these, she also had use of Villa Leopolda, a sprawling villa that Leopold had built on the French Riviera in 1902.

In addition to these various homes, Caroline also received gifts of clothes and jewels and amassed a significant fortune. And Caroline was known to boast about her newfound wealth, often claiming that her sons would be more wealthy than the richest men in England.

Sensing his impending death, on December 12, 1909, the King and Caroline were married in a religious ceremony at the Palace of Laeken. However, no civil ceremony was held – a requirement under Belgian law – and the marriage was not deemed legal. Five days later, King Leopold died, with Caroline and their two sons by his side.

Château de Balincourt. photo: by Chatsam – personal work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38501219

Knowing she would no longer be welcome within the Belgian royal family, Caroline quickly moved on with her life. Just seven months after Leopold’s death, she married her former lover, Antoine-Emmanuel Durrieux, who helped her negotiate through the financial arrangements left for her by the King. Durrieux adopted her two sons, but the marriage soon ended.

She then lived a more quiet life – often in the company of her elder son, and spending time at her various homes around Europe. In 1937, she published her memoirs, and on February 12, 1948, she died in Cambo-les-Bains, France. She is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France.

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.

King Norodom Suramarit of Cambodia

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Coronation of King Norodom Suramarit of Cambodia; Credit – Wikipedia

Note: In Cambodian naming practices, the surname comes first. The king’s surname is Norodom and his first name is Suramarit, so he will be referred to as Suramarit.

Norodom Suramarit, the father of King Norodom Sihanouk, reigned as King of Cambodia from 1955 -1960. Suramarit was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, then in the French Protectorate of Cambodia, on March 6, 1896. He was the son of half-siblings, Prince Norodom Sutharot of Cambodia (1872–1945) and Princess Norodom Phangangam of Cambodia (1874–1944), both children of King Norodom Prohmbarirak of Cambodia but by different mothers.

Suramarit had five younger siblings:

  • Princess Norodom Akasaniya (1892 – 1907), died by suicide
  • Princess Norodom Raksmey-Sophon (1895 – 1971)
  • Princess Norodom Phavarith (1896 – ?)
  • Princess Norodom Yinglek (1900 – ?)
  • Prince Norodom Rasspong (born 1909 – ?)

At the time of his birth, Suramarit’s grandfather Norodom Prohmbarirak was the King of Cambodia. When his grandfather died in 1904, his grandfather’s half-brother Sisowath Chamchakrapong became King of Cambodia and reigned until his death in 1941 when his son, Sisowath Monivong became King of Cambodia. Suramarit grew up at the court of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh and was educated at French schools in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Saigon, Vietnam, both in French Indochina.

Suramarit married three times. In 1920, he married Princess Sisowath Kossamak of Cambodia  (1904 – 1975), daughter of King Sisowath Monivong of Cambodia. They had one son:

Suramarit married Princess Maduratna Duong Mathuret but they had no children

Suramarit married Kim-An Yeap (Khun Devi Kanha Subiya Yeap) (1925 – 1995). They had three children:

  • Princess Norodom Vichara (1946 – 2013), married (1) Tep Sombana, no children, divorced (2) Yves Dumont, had one son
  • Prince Norodom Sirivudh (born 1951), married (1) Keo Kosey, had one son, divorced (2) Christine Angèle Alfsen, one son and two daughters, divorced (3) Princess Norodom Norodom Veasna Diva of Cambodia
  • Prince Norodom Preyasophon (born 1954), married Princess Vinayika Sisowath Vinak of Cambodia, had one son and one daughter

When King Sisowath Monivong died in 1941, the French originally wanted Suramarit to succeed him. However, Sisowath Monil, the son of King Sisowath Monivong, believed that he was the legal heir to the throne. The two royal families of Cambodia, the House of Norodom and the House of Sisowath, quarreled over the right to the throne. Finally, Jean Decoux, Governor-General of French Indochina, chose Suramarit’s 18-year-old son Norodom Sihanouk to be King of Cambodia because he was descended from both royal families.

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King Norodom Suramarit and Queen Sisowath Kossamak in the throne room of the Pnom Penh Royal Palace a few days before the official coronation on March 7, 1955

Suramarit’s son King Norodom Sihanouk decided to abdicate in 1955 so he could directly participate in politics. He reverted to the title of Prince and was succeeded by his father Suramarit as King of Cambodia. Sihanouk’s political party Sangkum won the general elections in 1955 and he became Prime Minister of Cambodia. The reign of King Suramarit was a peaceful one due to Prime Minister Norodom Sihanouk’s powerful political leadership and strict neutral policy.

After a long illness, King Norodom Suramarit died on April 3, 1960, aged 64, at Chaktomuk Hall, Khemarin Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Suramit’s ashes were buried in a stupa at Wat Preah Keo Morakot (Silver Pagoda) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Following Suramarit’s death in 1960, his son Norodom Sihanouk again became head of state although he did not formally regain the title of King of Cambodia until 1993, after periods of exile and other governments in power.

Stupa of King Norodom Suramarit; Credit – By Olaf Tausch – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46687777

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Norodom Suramarit. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norodom_Suramarit> [Accessed 16 August 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Cambodian Royal Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Cambodia/camboa14.htm> [Accessed 16 August 2020].
  • https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norodom_Suramarit
  • Zh.wikipedia.org. 2020. 诺罗敦·苏拉玛里特. [online] Available at: <https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%AF%BA%E7%BD%97%E6%95%A6%C2%B7%E8%8B%8F%E6%8B%89%E7%8E%9B%E9%87%8C%E7%89%B9> [Accessed 16 August 2020].

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