Today is the birthday of Late King Sobhuza, a public holiday in Eswatini. This day marks the birthday of King Sobhuza who was born on this day in 1899.
When a roll call of world leaders who have ruled the longest is read out, King Bhumibol of Thailand (70 years), Queens Victoria (63 years) and Elizabeth II (Over 70 years and counting) of the United Kingdom are names that will be familiar to many of us.
What may be less known is that these illustrious monarchs all fall short of the reign of King Sobhuza II, who ruled Swaziland (now Eswatini) for an astonishing 82 years and 254 days, making his reign the longest verifiable in history.
Ingwenyama Sobhuza was born on July 22nd 1899. Four months later, on December 10th 1899, the infant Sobhuza became king after the death of his father. As you might expect, King Sobhuza didn’t have to perform all his royal duties whilst still a child and his grandmother served as regent, until handing power to her grandson when he was 21.
From almost the start of his reign, his country was a British protectorate. It gained independence in 1968 and Sobhuza was a driving force for independence, even forming a political party which is a very unusual step by a monarch. He also changed the constitution strengthening the power of the King.
Following the traditional tribal practice, Sobhuza had many wives, 70 according to the Swaziland National Trust Commission. His 210 offspring from these consorts earned him the sobriquet, “Bull of Swazi”. Sobhuza died on August 21st 1982.
Today is the birthday, in 1944, of Rick Davies, vocalist and keyboardist with Supertramp, who had the 1979 UK No.7 and US No.6 single with ‘The Logical Song’ and the 1979 US No.1 and UK No.3 album Breakfast In America. Davies is the only member of Supertramp to have been with the group for their entire history, and has composed many of their most well-known songs, including ‘Goodbye Stranger’, and ‘Bloody Well Right’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZUE4_PtOk0
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