Lesotho is a hereditary Constitutional Monarchy and the King is the Head of State. The King is designated by the College of Chiefs, in accordance with the customary law of Lesotho, upon the death of his predecessor or occurrence of a vacancy in the Office of King. On succeeding to the throne, the King takes the Oath of Office of King in which he swears to obey and observe the provisions of the Constitution and all other laws of Lesotho. The King also swears to discharge his duties in a manner that will preserve the monarchy as a symbol of the unity of the Basotho Nation and to abstain from involving the monarchy in politics. The Oath of Office is administered by the Chief Justice of Lesotho, at the Royal Palace in Maseru in the presence of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Judges of the Lesotho High Court, members of the Senate and the National Assembly and other dignitaries. The Coronation of the King comes later and is a more public occasion to which other Heads of State may be invited. When the rightful heir to the throne has not yet attained the age of twenty-one, or the King is absent from Lesotho or is not in good health, there is provision for the appointment of a Regent. The Royal couple in Lesotho rarely ever visit outside Lesotho at the same time so the Queen becomes Regent whenever the King is out of the country. In case of the absence of the Royal couple, the younger brother to the King assumes the Regency. The appointment of a Regent is published in a gazette. |
Sunday, January 26, 2025