A happy birthday to His Majesty King Letsie III of the Kingdom of Lesotho. Today lets celebrate the 56th birthday of His Majesty and another year to celebrate his tireless dedication to enhancing Lesotho's social development, education, youth, girls both locally and internationally

His Majesty was born as Mohato Bereng Seeiso to His Majesty the late King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho and Her Majesty the late Queen(mother) Mamohato Bereng Seeiso (née Princess Tabita ‘Masentle Lerotholi Mojela). Upon his christening in the catholic church he took the name of David.

His Majesty is the oldest of 3 children. His siblings are Their Royal Highnesses Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso (born 1966) and Princess Constance Christina Maseeiso (1969-1994).

Education: 
He began his primary education at Iketsetseng Private School in Maseru(the Kingdom's capital city) in 1968.  At the end of his primary education, he spend 4 years of preparatory education at St Martin’s Ampleforth in Yorkshire, England in 1973. The school is Roman Catholic independent preparatory school run by the Benedictine Order.

He then followed in his father's footstep by attending his father’s alma mater, Ampleforth College in 1977 and completed his secondary education in 1980.

From 1980 to 1984 the then Crown Prince returned to the Kingdom where he attended the National University of Lesotho and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in law.

From 1984 and 1986 he did a Diploma in English Legal Studies at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. After which in 1989, he studied studied Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. In the same year, he was enrolled with Wye College of the University of London where he studied agricultural economics.

Reign:
His father's reign had seen a number of turbulence while he was still young, with King Moshoeshoe II's power being limited, then suspended and exiled under Prime Minister Lebua Jonathan, then reinstated by the same prime minister. He was installed as the Principal Chief of Matsieng(a district) on December 16th 1989.

Under a government's prerogative, His Majesty took oath of the Office of the King in 1990, when His Majesty King Moshoeshoe II was deposed. He took the name Letsie III in honor of King Letsie I, the eldest son of King Moshoeshoe I, the founder of the Basotho nation.

After reigning for 5 years he abdicated and his father was briefly restored in 1995 but died in a car accident in the early 1996. A month after his death his wife Her Majesty Queen mother Momahato acted as regent

With that King Letsie took the oath of the Office of the king again. Just like in the United Kingdom, His Majesty King Letsie is a constitutional monarch and so his duties are mostly ceremonial.


Marriage/Family life:


On October 23rd 1999, the palace announced that His Majesty King Letsie was engaged to the then Anna Karabo Mots’oeneng now Her Majesty Queen Masenate whom he meet prior while she had graduated from high school.

On February 18th 2000, they were joined in holy matrimony held at the national sports stadium with a crowd of 40,000 people watching. Maseru’s Roman Catholic Archbishop Bernard Mohlalisi officiated at the ceremony.

They have been blessed with two daughters and a son: Her Royal Highness Princess Senate (born on October 7th, 2001), Her Royal Highness Princess ‘Maseeiso (November 20th, 2004), and His Royal Highness Prince Lerotholi Crown Prince (April, 18th, 2007).

Passion and royal work:

His Majesty is very passionate about agriculture. In 2016, he was voted by his peers and fellow head of states at the African Union and appointed as African Union Champion for nutrition in January 2014 for a two year term. Following his end of term in 2016, he was reappointed by his peers The African Head of States to carry the mandate until 2019.

In addition, he was appointed in December 2016 to be the Special Ambassador for Nutrition of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

He is also founding patron of Prince Mohato Award (Khau ea Khosana Mohato).