Letsie III

In this article we will explore in depth the topic of Letsie III, which has been the subject of interest and debate in various spheres of society. Letsie III has aroused the interest of experts, academics, professionals and the general public, generating a wide range of opinions and perspectives on its importance, implications and relevance today. Through a comprehensive analysis, we will examine the fundamental aspects of Letsie III, its impact in different contexts, and the possible implications it has for the future. Likewise, we will address various approaches and theories that have been developed around Letsie III, with the aim of offering a comprehensive and multidimensional vision of this topic.

Letsie III
Letsie III in 2019
King of Lesotho
First reign12 November 1990 – 25 January 1995
PredecessorMoshoeshoe II
SuccessorBereng Seeiso Moshoeshoe II
Second reign7 February 1996 – present
Coronation31 October 1997
Predecessor
  • Mamohato (regent)
  • Bereng Seeiso, Moshoeshoe II
Heir apparentLerotholi Seeiso
BornMohato Bereng Seeiso
(1963-07-17) 17 July 1963 (age 61)
Scott Hospital, Morija, Basutoland (now Lesotho)
Spouse
​
(m. 2000)​
Issue
Detail
Names
David Mohato Bereng Seeiso
HouseSeeiso
FatherConstantine Bereng Seeiso Moshoeshoe II
MotherMamohato
ReligionCatholic
SignatureLetsie III's signature
Royal family of Lesotho

Letsie III (born Mohato Bereng Seeiso; 17 July 1963) is King of Lesotho. He succeeded his father, Bereng Seeiso Moshoeshoe II, who was forced into exile in 1990. His father was briefly restored in 1995 but died in a car crash in early 1996, and Letsie became king again. As a constitutional monarch, most of King Letsie's duties as monarch of Lesotho are ceremonial.[1] In 2000, he declared HIV/AIDS in Lesotho to be a natural disaster, prompting immediate national and international response to the epidemic.[2]

Biography

Letsie III was born on 17 July 1963 at the Scott Hospital in Morija, a town south of the capital Maseru. He was educated in the United Kingdom at Ampleforth College.[3] From there, he went on to study at the National University of Lesotho, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Law. He then went on to study at the University of Bristol (Diploma in English Legal Studies, 1986), Wolfson College, Cambridge (Development Studies, 1989), and Wye College (Agricultural Economics). He completed his studies in 1989, when he returned to Lesotho.[4]

He was installed as the Principal Chief of Matsieng on 16 December 1989.[5]

His coronation took place on 31 October 1997 at Setsoto Stadium. King Charles III (then the Prince of Wales) attended the ceremony.[6]

On 1 December 2016, in Rome, King Letsie III was appointed as the Food and Agriculture Organization's newest Special Ambassador for Nutrition by the Organization's Director-General, José Graziano da Silva.[7]

Personal life

Marriage and children

In 2000, King Letsie married Karabo Motšoeneng, with whom he has two daughters and one son:

Religion

King Letsie III is one of only two Catholic sovereigns of non-European lineage anywhere in the world, the other being the Māori queen Nga wai hono i te po. He is a member of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George and has been credited with promoting the principles of his Catholic faith in Lesotho.[9]

Patronages

  • Patron of the Prince Mohato Award (Khau ea Khosana Mohato).

Honours

National

Foreign

Ancestry

References

  1. ^ "Lesotho profile". BBC News. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  2. ^ National AIDS Commission, Lesotho. Coordination Framework for the National Response to HIV and AIDS. 2007. Accessed 25 November 2017.
  3. ^ Soszynski, Henry. "LESOTHO". members.iinet.net.au. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  4. ^ "His Majesty King Letsie III". Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Kingdom of Lesotho. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  5. ^ Stephen J. Gill, Johanna A. M. Giesen. "Lesotho, kingdom in the sky", Afrika Museum, (1993), p. 161.
  6. ^ "LA CORONACIÓN DE LETSIE III". El País. 1 November 1997. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  7. ^ "FAO - Noticias: King Letsie III of Lesotho appointed FAO's newest Special Ambassador for Nutrition". www.fao.org. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  8. ^ Lesotho's heir apparent is born
  9. ^ "Catholic King Letsie III of Lesotho invested into the Constantinian Order". 8 October 2013.
  10. ^ a b c d "Televisión Camagüey, Cuba". Televisión Camagüey, Cuba. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  11. ^ "Kingdom of Lesotho". Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  12. ^ "Kingdom of Lesotho". Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  13. ^ "Outstanding Service Medal". Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  14. ^ "Catholic King Letsie III of Lesotho invested into the Constantinian Order - Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George". 8 October 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
Letsie III
Born: 17 July 1963
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Mamohato
Regent
 King of Lesotho
1990–1995 		Succeeded by
King of Lesotho
1996–present 		Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Lerotholi Seeiso