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.
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, so Letsie succeeded him again for a second reign. As a constitutional monarch, most of King Letsie's duties as monarch of Lesotho are ceremonial. In 2000, he declared HIV/AIDS in Lesotho to be a natural disaster, prompting immediate national and international response to the epidemic.
Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Entirely surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of only three sovereign enclaves in the world, the others being San Marino and Vatican City, which are surrounded by Italy. Lesotho is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest peak in Southern Africa. It has an area of over 30,000 km (11,600 sq mi) and has a population of about 2.3 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru.
Lesotho was formed in 1824 by King Moshoeshoe I. Continuous encroachments by Dutch settlers made the King enter into an agreement with the United Kingdom to become a protectorate in 1868 and, in 1884, a crown colony. It achieved independence in 1966, and was subsequently ruled by the Basotho National Party (BNP) for two decades. Its constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. King Moshoeshoe II was exiled in 1990 but returned in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. One year later, Moshoeshoe II died and his son Letsie III took the throne, which he still holds.
The monarchy of Lesotho is the form of government used by Lesotho (also known as Basutoland until 1966) by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the Constitution. The monarch is styled as Marena; in Sotho language, Marena is the plural of the common noun Kings, where Morena is the singular for King.
The monarch since 7 February 1996 is King Letsie III, who ascended the throne on the death of King Moshoeshoe II, his father. It is the second reign of Letsie III; his first reign lasted from 12 November 1990 to 25 January 1995.
The 1986 Lesotho coup d'état was a military coup that took place in Lesotho on 20 January 1986, led by General Justin Lekhanya. It led to the deposition of Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan, who held the office since 1965 and assumed dictatorial powers in the 1970 coup d'état, after the general election was annulled.
General Lekhanya announced the creation of the Military Council, which would exercise all executive and legislative powers in the name of King Moshoeshoe II. Eventually, a power struggle developed between Lekhanya and the King, with the latter being forced into exile in the United Kingdom in February 1990, and officially dethroned in November of that year. Lekhanya himself was deposed in the 1991 coup d'état, led by Colonel Elias Phisoana Ramaema.
Seeiso, full name Simon Seeiso Griffith (1905 – 26 December 1940) was the paramount chief of Basutoland from 23 June 1939 until his death. He was the father of King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho and the paternal grandfather of king Letsie III of Lesotho.