| Sobhuza II | |
|---|---|
| Ngwenyama | |
.jpg) Sobhuza II in 1945 | |
| King of Swaziland | |
| Reign | 10 December 1899 – 21 August 1982 |
| Coronation | 22 December 1921 |
| Predecessor | Ngwane V |
| Successor | Mswati III |
| Born | 22 July 1899 Zombodze, Swaziland (now Eswatini) |
| Died | 21 August 1982 (aged 83) Mbabane, Swaziland |
| Spouse | 70 wives (including Ntfombi Tfwala) |
| Issue | 210 children (including Mswati III) |
| House | House of Dlamini |
| Father | Ngwane V |
| Mother | Lomawa Ndwandwe |
Sobhuza II KBE (Swazi: [sɔbʱuzʱa]; also known as Nkhotfotjeni, Mona;[1][2] 22 July 1899 – 21 August 1982) was Ngwenyama (King) of Swaziland (now Eswatini) for 82 years and 254 days, the longest verifiable reign of any monarch in recorded history.
Sobhuza was born on 22 July 1899 at Zombodze Royal Residence, the son of Inkhosikati Lomawa Ndwandwe and King Ngwane V. When he was only four months old, his father died suddenly while dancing incwala. Sobhuza was chosen king soon after that and his grandmother Labotsibeni and his uncle Prince Malunge led the Swazi nation until his maturity in 1921.[3] Sobhuza was acknowledged as King by the British in 1967, and Swaziland achieved independence in 1968. Sobhuza continued to reign until his death in 1982. He was succeeded by Mswati III, his young son with Inkhosikati Ntfombi Tfwala, who was crowned in 1986.
- ^ SNTC. "CULTURAL RESOURCES: King Sobhuza II". Archived from the original on 2 March 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
- ^ Kuper, Hilda (1986). The Swazi: A South African Kingdom (2nd ed.). CBS College Publishing. p. 15.
- ^ Platter, John (13 August 1979). "Long Live the King: Sobhuza II of Swaziland Looks Back on 80 Years and 100 Wives". People. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.