This past weekend, 17 July 2011, we attended the celebration of King Letsie III's 48th birthday in Teyateyaneng (TY). King Letsie III is the current King of Lesotho and is named after the eldest son of King Meshoeshoe I, the nation's founder.
There was a marching band:
And the Lesotho Defense Forces (LDF) were all dressed in their finest:
As were thousands of Basotho:
Also in attendance were my beautiful wife and a few volunteers, mostly from the newest batch of trainees - all of whom watched with great interest:
And our friends Charles and Prince, and yours truly, all dressed up in our finest likhobo ("dee-KHOH-boh", or blankets):
The band played a bit to set the mood:It was not too long, though, until the main event, the arrival of the guest of honor, His Majesty King Letsie II:
I am not certain which part of his entourage I enjoyed most, but it might have been the motorcycle riders with Mohawks:
The King surveyed the field:
And reviewed the troops:
Who marched in smart order for the King:
I was impressed with how many of the soldiers are women, though I must confess that I have no idea how it compares with other nations:
Perhaps the grandest spectacle of the day was the landing of some paratroopers:
Along more traditional lines, the festivities also included dancers and singers:
A good time was had by all, and I join the nation of Lesotho in wishing their King a very happy birthday!
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