- Title: Swaziland: King Celebrates His 25Th Birthday-Silver Anniversary Of Independence
- Date: 6th September 1993
- Summary: People in traditional costume gathered in Swaziland on September 6, 1993 to pay tribute to their leader, King Mswati III, when he celebrated his 25th birthday on the same day as the country's silver (25th) anniversary of independence. About 25,000 Swazis and foreign dignitaries, including Britain's Prince Edward and South African President F. W. De Klerk packed the national football stadium outside the capital Mbabane for the occasion. A guard of honour and military band celebrated the arrival of the King, known as "the maned lion", who is one of the youngest monarchs in the world and enjoys virtually unrestricted powers. Korean experts contributed to the colourful celebrations by orchestrating a display of synchronised banners by one section of the crowd -- spelling out birthday messages for the king and holding up a large portrait of the young monarch adorned with a feathered head-dress. Swazi men and women wore traditional dress with colourful beads and ostrich feather head-dresses in honour of the double celebration. Traditional dancers beat animal-hide drums and entertained the huge crowd. Swaziland obtained independence from Britain in 1968 and five years later scrapped the Westminster-style constitution it had inherited, restoring full power to the monarchy.
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- Location: SWAZILAND MBABANE
- Reuters ID: LDL0011Y9FK2Z
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
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- Copyright Holder: Reuters Archive
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