The kingdom of Swaziland is one of the world’s last remaining absolute monarchies.
The king rules by decree over his million subjects, most of whom live in the countryside and follow traditional ways of life.
The struggling economy benefited from preferential access which textile exporters had to the United States until this facility was withdrawn over human rights concerns in 2015.
The country exports sugar and many Swazis work in South Africa and send their earnings home.
According to UNICEF Swaziland has the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world. The HIV-Aids virus has killed countless Swazis who have left behind thousands of orphans. Some 210,000 people, out of a population of 1.2 million, are estimated to be living with HIV. BBC online article 14th December 2016
Now I’ve travelled half way around the world to try to track down a different kind of ruler: an absolute ruler. One of the only left standing. Have you ever met a king? I have. Uncensored with Michael Ware: King of Swaziland, National Geographic 2017
One of the last absolute monarchies in the world … often criticized in the western press for his lavish spending, for the state of his nation, for the treatment of his people. ibid.