Mantfombi Dlamini

Mantfombi Dlamini was born in 1956. Her father, Sobhuza II of Swaziland, was both the heir to an ancient dynasty and the founder of a country that was known at its independence as Swaziland. Mantfombi's brother, Sobhuza's successor Mswati III, would ultimately change their country's name to eSwatini in 2018.

After a traditional upbringing in the Swazi royal family, the princess was betrothed to King Goodwill Zwelithini in 1973. At the time of their betrothal, she was a member of the royal family of a sovereign state while her intended husband - a former Zulu chief that had acceded to the kingship of Zululand, a mediatised traditional authority in what was then Apartheid South Africa, some two years earlier - was deemed by some to be at something of a disadvantage in terms of relative dynasticity. As a result, a condition for their union from the Swazi palace was that she become his great wife, a position that would make her male children the favourites to succeed him when the time came. This was agreed to, and the couple ultimately married in 1977. As a result, even though the Zulu king currently has six wives and twenty-eight children, it is expected that one of Dlamini's sons will be the next Zulu monarch.

Her family would continue to forge links with other African dynasties: Her brother Prince Thumbumuzi Dlamini married into the Mandela chieftaincy family of Mvezo in the same year as her betrothal. Through this union, she gained Zenani Mandela-Dlamini as a sister-in-law.

Dlamini is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[1] Although the Zulu royal family maintains such traditional African practices as polygamy, this is not seen as conflicting with its professed Christianity - a situation that also exists in eSwatini.

Dlamini and King Goodwill have eight children. They are:

• Prince Misuzulu Zulu, born 23 September 1974 in Kwahlabisa, KwaZulu-Natal. He studied at [International Studies]] in Jacksonville, Florida, and is a strong candidate for Zwelethini's successor.
• Princess Ntandoyesizwe Zulu, born 1976. She was married on the 13 April, 2002 at Enyokeni Royal Palace, Nongoma, to the late Kgosi Oupa Moilwa, Chief of the Bahurutse Bagamoilwa. The civil ceremony took place on July 11, 2004, in Pongola.
• Princess Nomkhosi, born 1978.
• Princess Bukhosibemvelo, born 1985, who married Sipho Nyawo. Her husband paid 120 cows as part of the ilobolo for her.[2]
• Prince Lungelo,
• Prince Mandlesizwe
• Prince Bizwekhaya
• Prince Masikomahle

• Monarchies in Africa
• Zulu Kingdom
• Zulu royal family