Indlovukazi

Indlovukazi

Ndlovukati (literally "She-Elephant", pl. tiNdlovukati; also spelled Indlovukazi) is the siSwati title for the female monarch of Eswatini. The title is given preferentially to the mother of the reigning king (styled the Ngwenyama, "Lion of Swaziland"), or to another female royal of high status if the king's mother has died. The title is roughly equivalent to a queen mother, though she is jointly head of state, ruling alongside the Ngwenyama. The title can also mean doctor. When there is no king, the Ndlovukati rules as queen regent. The current Ndlovukati is Queen Ntfombi Tfwala, the mother of Ngwenyama Mswati III and wife of Sobhuza II. She was also queen regent from 1983 until 1986 when Mswati became king. The most notable queen regent was Ndlovukati Labotsibeni Mdluli who ruled Swaziland from 1899 until 1921 when she abdicated for Sobhuza II.

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