Succession to the Swazi throne

Instead, on the demise of a king, the Liqoqo, an independent traditional council, decides which of his wives shall be "great wife" and Indlovukazi, 'She-Elephant'.

She must not bear the maiden name of Nkhosi-Dlamini, as Dlamini is the name of the royal house[further explanation needed] and she must not be a ritual wife (see next paragraph).

[2] The current king, Mswati III, has 11 wives (2 have permanently left him and 2 are deceased), 39 children and 13 grandchildren.

They graduate from being fiancées to full wives as soon as they fall pregnant, when the king customarily marries them.

[4] In traditional Swazi culture, the king is expected to marry a woman from every clan in order to cement relationships with each part of Eswatini.