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]
| Letsie III | |||||
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Letsie III in 2019
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| King of Lesotho | |||||
| First reign | 12 November 1990 – 25 January 1995 | ||||
| Predecessor | Moshoeshoe II | ||||
| Successor | Bereng Seeiso Moshoeshoe II | ||||
| Second reign | 7 February 1996 – present | ||||
| Coronation | 31 October 1997 | ||||
| Predecessor |
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| Heir apparent | Lerotholi Seeiso | ||||
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| Born | Seeiso
Bereng (1963-07-17) 17 July 1963 (age 61) Scott Hospital Morija, Morija, Basutoland (now Lesotho) | ||||
| Spouse |
(m. 2000) | ||||
| Issue Detail |
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| House | Seeiso | ||||
| Father | Bereng Seeiso Moshoeshoe II | ||||
| Mother | Mamohato | ||||
| Religion | Catholic | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
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 KingdomatAmpleforth 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]
In 2000, King Letsie married Karabo Motšoeneng, with whom he has two daughters and one son:
King Letsie III is the only Catholic sovereign of non-European lineage anywhere in the world. 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]
Lesotho : Grand Master of the Most Dignified Order of Moshoeshoe.[10] Lesotho : Grand Master of the Most Courteous Order of Lesotho.[10] Lesotho : Grand Master of the Most Meritorious Order of Mohlomi.[10] Lesotho : Grand Master of the Most Loyal Order of Ramatseatsane.[11] Lesotho : Outstanding Service Medal.[10][12]
Two Sicilian Royal Family: Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Two Sicilian Royal Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (8 October 2013).[13]| Ancestors of Letsie III | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Letsie III Born: 17 July 1963 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by
Mamohato |
King of Lesotho 1990–1995 |
Succeeded by |
| King of Lesotho 1996–present |
Incumbent Heir apparent: Lerotholi Seeiso | |
