The Zulu royal children say they never had time to grieve their mother because of court battles, writes Celani Sikhakhane in his column on royal families across South Africa.

As the Zulu royal family marks the fourth anniversary of Queen Regent Mantfombi MaDlamini kaSobhuza’s death, her children say they never had the chance to grieve properly or get counselling.

Instead, they were thrown into emotional chaos as the family fought over her will and the rightful heir to the throne. The court battles that followed left them no time to deal with the trauma of losing their mother.

“Most families are given time to mourn and get counselling,” said a member of the royal household. “But for us, things were very different. We had to fight to defend the throne while we were still in pain.”

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini and his siblings were forced to face public scrutiny and internal family divisions at a time when they should have been allowed to grieve in peace.

Queen Regent Mantfombi passed away in April 2021, shortly after she took over as interim leader of the Zulu nation following the death of her husband, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu.

Her death triggered a storm within the royal family, with some relatives openly rejecting her will and questioning her decision to name Misuzulu as the next King.

At a time when the children needed emotional support, royal rebels held press briefings outside the palace to challenge the succession.

The court case that followed added even more pressure on a family already in mourning.

One family member told Scrolla.Africa that being royal made their pain worse, because the media and the public were watching their every move.

“Losing a mother is draining,” they said. “I had to go to three counselling sessions just to start coping. One of my colleagues took three months off after their mother died. But we didn’t have that luxury.”

While other families find comfort in privacy and support, the royal children were in the spotlight, trying to stay strong in the face of grief, division and duty.

Pictured above: The late Queen Regent Mantfombi MaDlamini kaSobhuza.

Image source: @Nsikelelo6