Meet King Mswati III of Swaziland, the 50-year-old monarch who has 15 wives and 23 children
The eccentric king's father was a few steps ahead of him. He wed 125 women during his 82-year reign.
By Maleeva Rebello, ET Bureau |
King Mswati III of Swaziland renamed the country as the ‘Kingdom of eSwatin’ recently. Read on for some tidbits about this eccentric monarch and his land:
1. King Mswati inherited the throne in 1986 from his father, Sobhuza II, when he was 18 years old. This made him the youngest ruling monarch at the time.
2. The king enforced this name change after complaining that people outside of Africa confused his country with Switzerland. The change was greeted with mixed emotions, with some saying the country had more pressing issues, such as poverty and health care.
3. Named Prince Makhosetive at birth, Mswati was the son of King Sobhuza II and Ntombi Tfwala, one of the king’s younger wives. His mother jointly rules with him, first as Queen Regent and now as Queen Mother.
4. Within a month of his coronation, he dissolved the Liqoqo, the king’s traditional advisory board and appointed a new prime minister and reshuffled the cabinet, giving two of his brothers important portfolios.
5. The 50-year-old king has 15 wives and 23 children. His father though, was a few steps ahead of him and wed 125 women during his 82-year reign.
6. Mswati has been accused of kidnapping women he desires to marry, but no charge has been proven against him yet.
7. Criticised for his lavish lifestyle, the monarch has allotted $61million as his annual household budget. He owns a $500,000 Daimler Chrysler flagship Maybach 62 luxury car. The royal’s net worth is said to be more than $200 million.
1. King Mswati inherited the throne in 1986 from his father, Sobhuza II, when he was 18 years old. This made him the youngest ruling monarch at the time.
2. The king enforced this name change after complaining that people outside of Africa confused his country with Switzerland. The change was greeted with mixed emotions, with some saying the country had more pressing issues, such as poverty and health care.
3. Named Prince Makhosetive at birth, Mswati was the son of King Sobhuza II and Ntombi Tfwala, one of the king’s younger wives. His mother jointly rules with him, first as Queen Regent and now as Queen Mother.
4. Within a month of his coronation, he dissolved the Liqoqo, the king’s traditional advisory board and appointed a new prime minister and reshuffled the cabinet, giving two of his brothers important portfolios.
5. The 50-year-old king has 15 wives and 23 children. His father though, was a few steps ahead of him and wed 125 women during his 82-year reign.
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6. Mswati has been accused of kidnapping women he desires to marry, but no charge has been proven against him yet.
7. Criticised for his lavish lifestyle, the monarch has allotted $61million as his annual household budget. He owns a $500,000 Daimler Chrysler flagship Maybach 62 luxury car. The royal’s net worth is said to be more than $200 million.
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As Prince William and Kate are all set to welcome their third child, speculation is rife that they will name the baby after late Princess Diana. For the British royal family, names stem from heritage, and most are derived from the names of ancestors . For instance, Prince George’s full name is George Alexander Louis. The name George has echoed throughout royal history with King George VI being the last to wear the crown.
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