This article list the
monarch
A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power i ...
s (''Marena'') of
Lesotho (also known as
Basutoland until 1966).
Succession
The Succession to the throne of
Lesotho is laid down in Chapter V of the African kingdom's constitution. The current
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
is
Letsie III.
Chapter V Article 45 of Lesotho's constitution reads that:
:(1) The College of Chiefs may at any time designate, in accordance with the customary law of Lesotho, the person (or the persons, in order of prior right) who are entitled to succeed to the office of King upon the death of the holder of, or the occurrence of any vacancy in, that office and if on such death or vacancy, there is a person who has previously been designated in pursuance of this section and who is capable under the customary law of Lesotho of succeeding to that office, that person (or, if there is more than one such person, that one of them who has been designated as having the first right to succeed to the office) shall become King.
:(2) If, on the death of the holder of, or the occurrence of any vacancy in, the office of King, there is no person who becomes King under subsection (1), the College of Chiefs shall, with all practical speed and in accordance with the customary law of Lesotho, proceed to designate a person to succeed to the office of King and the person so designated shall thereupon become King.
Compensation
The king is granted a privy purse amounting to 52,778 USD annually.
Kings / Paramount Chiefs of Lesotho / Basutoland (1822–1966)
*
Moshoeshoe I
Moshoeshoe I () ( – 11 March 1870) was the first king of Lesotho. He was the first son of Mokhachane, a minor chief of the Bamokoteli lineage, a branch of the Koena (crocodile) clan. In his youth, he helped his father gain power over som ...
: 1822 – 18 January 1870
*
Letsie I Letsie I Moshoeshoe of Lesotho (1811 – 20 November 1891) was the paramount chief of Basotho (modern Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked as an enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti ...
: 18 January 1870 – 20 November 1891
*
Lerotholi Letsie: 20 November 1891 – 19 August 1905
*
Letsie II Letsie II Lerotholi (Letsienyane) (1867–1913), paramount chief of Basuto (later Lesotho) from 1905–1913. Letsienyane was the son of Lerotholi. He became the ruler upon the death of Lerotholi in 1905, but took little interest in government. He ...
: 21 August 1905 – 28 January 1913
*
Nathaniel Griffith Lerotholi Nathaniel Griffith Lerotholi (1870 – 23 June 1939) was the paramount chief of Basutoland
Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966 in present-day Lesotho. Though the Basotho (then known as Basuto) and their territ ...
: 11 April 1913 – 23 June 1939
*
Simon Seeiso Griffith: 3 August 1939 – 26 December 1940
** ''
Gabasheane Masupha Gabasheane Masupha (26 December 1903 - 28 January 1941) was the Regent paramount chief of Basotho (modern Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked as an enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Ma ...
(regent)'': 26 December 1940 – 28 January 1941
** ''
'Mantšebo Amelia 'Matšaba (regent)'': 28 January 1941 – 12 March 1960
*
Moshoeshoe II
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. ...
: 12 March 1960 – 4 October 1966
Kings of Lesotho (1966–present)
;Regent Head of State:
*''
Queen 'Mamohato'': 5 June 1970 – 5 December 1970, 10 March 1990 – 12 November 1990 and 15 January 1996 – 7 February 1996
Timeline since 1960
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from: 1960 till: 1990 color:m text:"Moshoeshoe II
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. ...
"
from: 1970 till: 1970 color:r text:" 'Mamohato (Regent Head of State)"
from: 1990 till: 1990 color:r text:" 'Mamohato (Regent Head of State)"
from: 1990 till: 1995 color:m text:" Letsie III"
from: 1995 till: 1996 color:m text:"Moshoeshoe II
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. ...
"
from: 1996 till: 1996 color:r text:" 'Mamohato (Regent Head of State)"
from: 1996 till: end color:m text:" Letsie III"
Royal Standards
File:Royal Standard of Lesotho (1966–1987).svg, Royal Standard of Lesotho 1966–1987.
File:Royal Standard of Lesotho (1987–2006).svg, Royal Standard of Lesotho 1987–2006.
File:Royal Standard of Lesotho.svg, Royal Standard of Lesotho from October 4, 2006.
See also
*
List of prime ministers of Lesotho
*
Lists of office-holders
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Monarchs Of Lesotho
Lesotho
*
Monarchies of South Africa