BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA
MBABANE- Appreciative!
This the British High Commission, that has appreciated Prime Minister’s Cleopas Dlamini’s kind and heartfelt words which he relayed following the demise of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s demise.
This was said in a statement that was released by the British High Commission earlier today.
The Queen passed on yesterday afternoon and she has been on the throne for 70years. She passed on at the age of 96.
“The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a moment of great sadness for the United Kingdom (United Kingdom), the Realms and Commonwealth and so many others around the world.
“We mourn as a country the passing of our cherished Sovereign. Her Late Majesty was the rock on which modern Britain was built and the UK grew and flourished under Her reign. She served her country with dignity and grace for more than 70 years,” read the statement.
The statement then went on to thank the country’s PM for his kind and heartfelt words marking her passing.
“Her Late Majesty championed the development of the Commonwealth
and we are proud of the longstanding and deep relations the Kingdom of
Eswatini enjoys in this family of nations spanning every continent.
“Yesterday (Thursday), the Crown passed to our new monarch and head
of state, His Majesty King Charles III,” said the British High Commission.
Through the statement, the British High Commission also said the United Kingdom had now entered a period of national mourning which we would hold until after Her Late Majesty’s funeral.
It was also announced that a condolence book for Her Late Majesty The Queen would be opened at the High Commissioner’s residence which is at Villa 15 at the Royal Villas in Ezulwini. This will happen from 12 to 16 September between 10am and 12pm.
Meanwhile, Eswatini is enjoying the perks of being under Commonwealth citizenship. The country has been a member of Commonwealth by virtue of being colonised by the British- before the country got its independence in 1968.
The perks of being a Commonwealth citizen include scholarship availability, reasonable access to Visa, access to human rights bodies and many others.
When sought for comment, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Thuli Dladla, said the country was still a very proud member of the Commonwealth and by that virtue, felt the pain of the Queen’s demise.
“We are humbled that through our relationship with the United Kingdom, many emaSwati have had access to decent education through scholarships to study in the UK,” said the minister briefly.
