Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho

Moshoeshoe II (2 May 1938 – 15 January 1996), previously known as Constantine Bereng Seeiso, was the Paramount Chief of Basutoland, succeeding paramount chief Seeiso from 1960 until the country gained full independence from Britain in 1966. He was King of Lesotho from 1966 until his exile in 1990, and from 1995 until his death in 1996.

Moshoeshoe II
King Moshoeshoe II in 1970
King of Lesotho
Reign4 October 1966 – 12 November 1990
PredecessorHimself as Paramount Chief of Basutoland
SuccessorLetsie III
Reign25 January 1995 – 15 January 1996
PredecessorLetsie III
SuccessorLetsie III
Born(1938-05-02)2 May 1938
Morija, Basutoland (now Lesotho)
Died15 January 1996(1996-01-15) (aged 57)
Maloti Mountains, Lesotho
Burial
Thaba Bosiu[1]
SpouseTabitha 'Masentle Lerotholi Mojela
Issue
Detail		Letsie III
Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso
Princess Constance Christina 'Maseeiso
Names
Constantine Bereng Seeiso
HouseMoshoeshoe
FatherSimon Seeiso Griffith
Mother'Mabereng[2]
ReligionChristian Church

Early life

Moshoeshoe was born with the name Constantine Bereng Seeiso and was the descendant of the founder of the nation, Moshoeshoe, which is where he got his royal name.[3] The young Seeiso was educated at the Roma College in Lesotho, then (apparently fleeing rumours that his stepfather planned to poison him) was sent to England, first to Ampleforth College and later to Corpus Christi College, Oxford.[4] While there, he took to the life of an English country gentleman, including hunting, shooting, and fishing.[4]

Reign

Moshoeshoe's political power was always limited, and his reign was interrupted twice. Early in his reign, Chief Leabua Jonathan became Prime Minister of Lesotho and gained control of the government. Jonathan suspended Moshoeshoe in 1970 to reestablish his control in the country after his party lost the election. Moshoeshoe went into temporary exile in the Netherlands. A few months later, when he gained control, Jonathan allowed Moshoeshoe to reassume the title of King. Jonathan was himself overthrown in 1986 and the King gained some power, but he was deposed in 1990, while his son Letsie III was forced to take his place as King. Moshoeshoe went to exile in the United Kingdom, but was restored to the throne in 1995. In 1996, he was killed in a car accident, and Letsie became King again a month later.

During the political turmoil of 1970 and 1990, and for a month after his death in 1996, his wife and Letsie's mother, 'Mamohato, acted as regent.

Summary of reign
  • 1960–1966: Paramount Chief Constantine Bereng Seeiso of Basutoland.[4]
  • 1966: crowned as King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho.[4]
  • 1970: exiled from Lesotho.[4]
  • February 1990: stripped of constitutional powers.[4]
  • November 1990: deposed, his son Letsie III becomes king.[4]
  • 1990–1992: in exile in the UK.[4]
  • January 1995: reinstated as King.[4]
  • January 1996: died, succeeded by Letsie III.[4]

Death
Moshoeshoe II in 1988

King Moshoeshoe II died at the age of 57 in a road accident, when his car plunged off a mountain road during the early hours of 15 January 1996. The accident also killed the car's driver.[5] According to a government statement, Moshoeshoe had set out at 1 am to visit his cattle at Matsieng, and was returning to Maseru through the Maloti Mountains when his car left the road.[5]

Family

Moshoeshoe married Princess Tabitha 'Masentle Lerotholi Mojela (later known as Queen 'Mamohato of Lesotho) in 1962, and with her had two sons and one daughter:[4]

Honours

Grand Master of the following orders

Foreign honours

References
  1. "Geoff's Peerless Travels". Geoff's Peerless Travels. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  2. Soszynski, Henry. "LESOTHO". members.iinet.net.au. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  3. Nduta Waweru. "The complicated life of Lesotho’s Moshoeshoe II who was dethroned and exiled twice by his people", (January 15, 2019).
  4. Obituary: King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho by Benjamin Pogrund in The Independent, 16 January 1996 (accessed 3 November 2007)
  5. King of Tiny Land Circled by South Africa Dies in Car Plunge, by Donald G. McNeil Jr. in The New York Times, 16 January 1996 (accessed 3 November 2007)
  6. "Kingdom of Lesotho". Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  7. South African Government Information Archived 4 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Badraie Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Badraie". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2014.


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