Sobhuza II

King Mswati III has ruled the southern African kingdom of about 1.2 million people since 1986, when he inherited the crown from his father, Sobhuza II.

Queen Mantfombi held the highest status among the king's wives, because she came from royalty - her father was the late King Sobhuza II and her brother was King Mswati III of Eswatini.

King Louis XIV of France, who built the palace of Versailles, is considered to hold the record for a sovereign state, ruling for 72 years, while Sobhuza II was king of Swaziland for almost 83 years until his death in 1982.

After the country gained independence in 1968, Sobhuza II, whom the British colonizers had designated the top chief, became king.

That power was passed down to 18-year-old Prince Makhosetive, King Sobhuza II’s son, in 1986, four years after the king’s death.