45-580: Queen Modjadji , or the Rain Queen , is the hereditary queen of Balobedu , a people of the Limpopo Province of South Africa . The Rain Queen is believed to have special powers, including the ability to control the clouds and rainfall. She is known as a mystical and historic figure who brought rain to her allies and drought to her enemies. She is not a ruler as such, but a powerful rainmaker and
90-411: A king . She reigns suo jure (in her own right) over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort , who is married to a reigning king; or a queen regent , who is the guardian of a child monarch and rules pro tempore in the child's stead or instead of her husband who is absent from the realm, be it de jure in sharing power or de facto in ruling alone. A queen regnant
135-572: A bill to allow women to ascend the Imperial Throne, but he withdrew this after the birth of Prince Hisahito (Naruhito's nephew) in 2006. Mokope Modjadji Mokope Modjadji V (27 April 1937 – 28 June 2001) was the fifth Rain Queen of the Balobedu tribe in the Limpopo Province of South Africa from 1981 until her death in 2001. Mokope Modjadji was very traditional in her role as Rain Queen. She lived in seclusion in
180-590: A council names an heir), primogeniture (in which the children of a monarch or chief have preference in order of birth from eldest to youngest), and ultimogeniture (in which the children have preference in the reverse order of birth from youngest to eldest). The scope of succession may be matrilineal, patrilineal, or both; or, rarely, open to general election when necessary. The right of succession may be open to men and women, or limited to men only or to women only. The most typical succession in European monarchies from
225-608: A court application was submitted by Princess Masalanabo's legal team in order to challenge the Royal Council's decision, which they claim to be illegal under the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act and to ignore the recognition of Masalanabo as Rain Queen by President Cyril Ramaphosa . An online petition against Lekukela's appointment was launched in May 2021, even though the Royal Council has stated
270-732: A position reserved for her and become the Khadikholo (great aunt) of Balobedu. The other claimant is Lekukela's sister, who is known to loyalists as Masalanabo II Modjadji VII. She is the daughter of the last Rain Queen, Makobo Modjadji VI. A ceremony to celebrate her 18th birthday was held in April 2023 at the Kara Heritage Institute in Pretoria ; it was organized by the Balobedu Heritage Society, which
315-742: A traditional healer (ngaka). As of March 2024, the title is in dispute between two claimants. The traditional installation of Prince Lekukela Modjadji as the king of the Balobedu took place in October 2022 at Khetlhakoni Royal Palace in Modjadjiskloof outside Tzaneen in Limpopo. Princess Masalanabo, who was expected to be the next Rain Queen, is intended by the faction of the Modjadji Royal Council that installed him to now take
360-465: A vision that he had to marry his daughter in order to create a matrilineal dynasty. She gave birth to the first Rain Queen, known as Modjadji , which means: "ruler of the day". Oral histories recount that the Rain Queens are originally from ancient Ethiopia and built the fortress of Great Zimbabwe . During the 1930s, social anthropologists Eileen Krige and Jack Krige carried out fieldwork on
405-483: Is a 2006 Royal Council resolution appointing Lekukela as heir to the Balobedu throne, which was allegedly kept secret due to security concerns. The Royal Council plans for Princess Masalanabo to instead assume the position of khadi-kholo (great aunt) of the Balobedu kingdom. Lekukela was installed as King elect by the Modjadji royal council in October 2022, although his coronation is still pending judicial approval after
450-600: Is also the mother of a reigning sovereign. Since the abdication of Margrethe II of Denmark on 14 January 2024, there are currently no female sovereigns in the world. This is the first time this has been the case in over 200 years. The oldest attested queen regnant was the Pharaoh Sobekneferu from the 18th/17th century BC. In Ancient Africa, Ancient Persia , Asian and Pacific cultures, and in some European countries, female monarchs have been given
495-470: Is different from the title ōhi (王妃, "king's consort") which means only a queen consort. The term jotei (女帝, "female emperor") or josei tennō (女性天皇, "female heavenly emperor") has been used for empresses regnant of Japan because the title kōgō (皇后, "emperor's consort") means only an empress consort. Although the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan is currently barred to women following
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#1732773325297540-469: Is not supposed to marry, but has many "wives", as they are referred to in the Balobedu language. These are not spouses in the usual sense of the word; as a queen regnant , she has the equivalent of royal court servants, or ladies-in-waiting ), sent from many villages all over the Balobedu Kingdom. These wives were selected by The Queen's Royal Council and in general are from the households of
585-509: Is reportedly considered by some to be a faction that promotes division within the royal clan of the Balobedu people. The second Rain Queen, Masalanabo Modjadji , is said to have been the inspiration for H. Rider Haggard 's novel She: A History of Adventure . The Marvel Comics character Storm is a fictional descendant of the dynasty that produces the Rain Queens through the line of the Sorceress Supreme Ayesha from
630-446: Is sometimes called a woman king . A princess , duchess , or grand duchess regnant is a female monarch who reigns suo jure over a principality or ( grand ) duchy ; an empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns suo jure over an empire . A queen regnant possesses all the powers, such as they may be , of the monarchy, whereas a queen consort or queen regent shares her spouse's or child's rank and titles but does not share
675-626: The Davidic Monarchs of the Kingdom of Judah , there is mentioned a single queen regnant, Athaliah , though the Hebrew Bible regards her negatively as a usurper. The much later Hasmonean Queen Salome Alexandra (Shlom Tzion) was highly popular. Accession of a queen regnant occurs as a nation's order of succession permits. Methods of succession to kingdoms, tribal chiefships, and such include nomination (the reigning monarch or
720-531: The Hyborian Age . Mujaji is also the name of the goddess of sustenance in The Orisha, the pantheon of Wakanda . In Wakanda, Storm is called Hadari-Yao ("Walker of Clouds" in ancient Alkamite), a goddess who preserves the balance of natural things. Queen regnant Philosophers Works A queen regnant ( pl. : queens regnant) is a female monarch , equivalent in rank, title and position to
765-687: The Imperial Household Law ( Emperor Naruhito 's daughter Princess Aiko cannot accede to the Chrysanthemum Throne), this has not always been the case; throughout Japanese history, there have been eight empresses regnant. The Japanese imperial succession debate became a significant political issue during the early 2000s, as no male children had been born to the Imperial House of Japan since 1965. Prime Minister Junichirō Koizumi pledged to present parliament with
810-788: The Late Middle Ages until the late 20th century was male-preference primogeniture : the order of succession ranked the sons of the monarch in order of their birth, followed by the daughters. Historically, many realms like France and the Holy Roman Empire forbade succession by women or through a female line in accordance with the Salic law , and nine countries still do, such countries being Japan , Morocco , Jordan , Saudi Arabia , Bahrain , Brunei , Liechtenstein , Bhutan . No queen regnant ever ruled France , for example. Only one woman, Maria Theresa , ruled Austria. As noted in
855-856: The Modjadji cycad , is named after the Rain Queen. The rain-making powers are also believed to be transmitted through matriarchal mitochondrial DNA. Therefore, the Queenship is inherited through matrilineal lineage, by the daughters of the Rain queen. The Rain Queen is a prominent figure in South Africa, many communities respecting her position and, historically, attempting to avoid conflict in deference thereto. The fifth Rain Queen, Mokope Modjadji , maintained cordial relations with Nelson Mandela . Even presidents of South Africa during apartheid visited
900-565: The United Kingdom amended their laws of succession to absolute primogeniture (in which the children of a monarch or chief have preference in order of birth from eldest to youngest regardless of gender). In some cases, the change does not take effect during the lifetimes of people already in the line of succession at the time the law was passed. In 2011, the United Kingdom and the 15 other Commonwealth realms agreed to remove
945-725: The Netherlands) are currently heirs apparent to the thrones of their respective monarchies, along with Leonor, Princess of Asturias , who is the heir presumptive of the throne of Spain. All four are therefore liable to become queens regnant following the end of the current reigns. Because there is no feminine equivalent to king and emperor in East Asian languages, different titles are used for female monarchs and female consorts. The titles of female monarchs in East Asia are translated directly as "female king" or "female emperor" and
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#1732773325297990-590: The Rain Queens. The Rain Queen has become a figure of interest, she and the royal institution becoming a significant tourist attraction contributing to the South African economy. The Rain Queen was offered an annual government civil list . The stipend was also expected to help defray the costs of preserving the cycad trees found in the Rain Queen's gardens. Rain Queen Makobo Caroline Modjadji VI (22 July 1978 – 12 June 2005)
1035-539: The Royal Compound in Khetlhakone Village and followed all the customs the Rain Queens were expected to follow. Mokope Modjadji met and became good friends with the then President of South Africa Nelson Mandela in 1994. Mandela could speak to Mokope only through the traditional intermediary . Later they became better friends and Mandela bought the Rain Queen a Japanese car to help her travel up
1080-401: The creation and history of the Rain Queens of Balobedu. One story states that an old chief in 16th century Monomotapa (South eastern Zimbabwe ), was told by his ancestors that by impregnating his daughter, Dzugundini, she would gain rain-making skills. Another story involves a scandal in the same chief's house, in which the chief's son impregnated Dzugundini. Dzugundini was held responsible and
1125-501: The death of the monarch, subject to the rules of male-preference primogeniture. A lot of times, the wife or mother of a childless king were allowed to succeed to the throne as well and allowed to rule as queen regnants in their own right, until their death, after which the throne passed to the next closest relative. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Sweden , Norway , Belgium , the Netherlands , Denmark , Luxembourg and
1170-404: The decision is irreversible. A male branch of the extended royal clan has also petitioned the South African president to restore the male line of the Balobedu royal house, which reigned before 1800. This request is considered unlikely to be granted, since the Rain Queen heritage is recognised as a national cultural legacy and interest in it has stimulated significant tourist trade. This male branch
1215-466: The future Rain Queen in a 2016 memorandum and she was expected to officially receive her certificate in 2021, when she turned 18, as minors are not allowed to be traditional leaders. Makobo's brother Prince Mpapatla was designated regent for Princess Masalanabo. However, Mpapatla himself has a daughter by his cousin, a woman from the royal Modjadji line. Mpapatla, however, has insisted that his late sister's daughter, Princess Masalanabo, will be enthroned as
1260-522: The list below of widely-known ruling queens, many reigned in European monarchies. Male-preference primogeniture was also practised in a lot of the separate kingdoms of the Indian subcontinent from the Middle Ages, until the Indian independence movement. In a lot of these kingdoms, adoption was allowed from a relative if a monarch didn't have children, and the adopted child could succeed to the throne at
1305-604: The only remaining female monarch of a sovereign state in the world, until her abdication on 14 January 2024. This made it the first time that no female sovereigns have reigned in over 200 years. On the other hand, there are non-sovereign queens, such as Rain Queen Masalanabo Modjadji VII and Māori Queen Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō , who currently reign. Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden , Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant (monarchy of Belgium), and Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (monarchy of
1350-568: The past, the Rain Queen was allowed to have children only by her close relatives . Perhaps uniquely, the Balobedu crown descends according to matrilineal primogeniture : her eldest daughter is always her successor , so the title of Rain Queen is normally passed from mother to daughter. It is said that she ingests poison when she is near death so that her daughter will assume the crown more quickly. Lately, however, many traditions have been abandoned, influenced by Christian missionaries . The government of South Africa recognized Princess Masalanabo as
1395-623: The queen when she turns 18. However, in May 2021, the Modjadji Royal Council appointed Masalanabo's older brother, Prince Lekukela, as king of the Balobedu nation with the support of Prince Regent Mpapatla, citing Masalanabo's lack of preparation on divine processes traditionally assumed by Rain Queens, as she lives in Gauteng with the family of Mathole Motshekga, a former advisor to the Balobedu Royal Council. Mpapatla claims there
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1440-408: The royal titles of East Asia. The title as a queen regnant of Trưng Trắc was Nữ vương ( chữ Hán : 女王, "female king") and the title as an empress regnant of Lý Chiêu Hoàng was Nữ hoàng ( chữ Hán : 女皇, "female emperor"), and they are different from the titles of female consorts. In Japan, the title used for two queens regnant of Yamatai : Himiko and Toyo was joō (女王, "female king") and it
1485-493: The rule of male-preference primogeniture. Once the necessary legislation was passed, this means that had Prince William had a daughter first, a younger son would not have become heir apparent. In 2015, Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning queen regnant and female head of state in world history. She was the longest serving incumbent head of state and monarch from 2016 until her death on 8 September 2022. Following Elizabeth's death, Margrethe II of Denmark became
1530-517: The society of the Rain Queens. Their work was published in 1943 as The Realm of a Rain-Queen. A Study of the Pattern of Lovedu Society , and remains one of the standard anthropological works. According to custom, the Rain Queen must shun public functions, and can only communicate with her people through her male or female councillors . Every November she presides over the annual Rainmaking ceremony at her royal compound in Khetlhakone Village. She
1575-411: The sovereignty of her spouse or child. The husband of a queen regnant traditionally does not share the queen regnant's rank, title, or sovereignty and usually holds a lower princely title . However, the concept of a king consort is not unheard of in both contemporary and historical periods. A queen dowager or empress dowager is the widow of a king or emperor; a queen mother is a queen dowager who
1620-539: The steep roads to her Royal Compound. He was then able to meet her in person and when asked about the Rain Queen Mandela said that, just like Queen Elizabeth II , Queen Modjadji did not answer questions. On other political fronts, Queen Mokope did not support the idea of an ANC government as she believed that its anti-traditional ideas would dilute her authority. However once the ANC came to power, they treated
1665-405: The subject chiefs. This ritual of "bride giving" is strictly a form of diplomacy to ensure loyalty to the Queen. The Rain Queen's mystical rain-making powers are believed to be reflected in the lush garden which surrounds her royal compound. Surrounded by parched land, her garden contains the world's largest cycad trees which are in abundance under a spectacular rain belt . One species of cycad,
1710-498: The title huánghòu (皇后, "emperor's consort") means only an empress consort. The term nǚwáng (女王, "female king") was also used for queens regnant of Eastern Kingdom of Women [ zh ] of the tribe Sumpa and it is different from the title wánghòu (王后, "king's consort") which means a queen consort. In Korea, the term yeowang ( Hangul : 여왕, Hanja : 女王, "female king") was developed to refer to three queens regnant of Silla : Seondeok , Jindeok and Jinseong , because
1755-454: The title king or its equivalent, such as pharaoh , when gender is irrelevant to the office, or else have used the masculine form of the word in languages that have grammatical gender as a way to classify nouns. The Roman Empress Irene of Athens sometimes titled herself basileus (βασιλεύς), 'emperor', rather than basilissa (βασίλισσα), 'empress', and Mary of Hungary was crowned as Rex Hungariae , King of Hungary in 1382. Among
1800-469: The title wangbi ( Hangul : 왕비, Hanja : 王妃, "king's consort") means only a queen consort. The term yeoje ( Hangul : 여제, Hanja : 女帝, "female emperor") was also used for Yi Hae-won , the titular empress regnant of Korean Empire because the title hwanghu ( Hangul : 황후, Hanja : 皇后, "emperor's consort") means only an empress consort. Although Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia, it used
1845-468: The titles of female consorts in East Asia are translated directly as "king's consort" or "emperor's consort". So, the titles of female monarchs in East Asia are the same as those of male monarchs, just indicating that they are women. In China the term nǚhuángdì (女皇帝, "female emperor"), abbreviated as nǚhuáng (女皇), has been used for three empresses regnant to assume the title of huángdì : Daughter of Xiaoming , Chen Shuozhen and Wu Zetian , because
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1890-528: Was forced to flee the village. Dzugundini ended up in Molototsi Valley, which is in the present day Balobedu Kingdom. The village she established with her loyal followers was ruled by a Mokoto, a male leader, but the peace and harmony of the village were disrupted by rivalries between different families; therefore, to pacify the land, Mokoto impregnated his own daughter in order to restore the tribe's matrilineal tradition. In another version, Mokoto had
1935-495: Was founded by her great grandmother Mokope Modjadji V . The event was used to launch her history booklet "Masalanabo Modjadji VII: Daughter Of The Sun". She will be crowned by a rival faction of the Modjadji Royal Council. Originally planned for April 2024, her coronation will take place in September 2024. The matter of the succession is currently before the courts of South Africa. There are several different stories relating to
1980-468: Was listed as chronic meningitis . She is survived by a son, Prince Lekukela Hex (b. 1997), and a daughter, Masalanabo Modjadji VII (b. 20 January 2005) who succeeded her in 2023 when she turned 18. The Rain Queen's official mates are chosen by the Royal Council, so that all of her children will be of dynastic status, from which future Rain Queens may descend. However, the Rain Queens are not expected to remain in exclusive relations with these partners. In
2025-576: Was the sixth in a line of the Balobedu people's Rain Queens. Makobo was crowned on 16 April 2003, at the age of 25, after the death of her predecessor and grandmother, Rain Queen Mokope Modjadji V . This made her the youngest queen in the history of the Balobedu. Makobo was admitted into the Limpopo Medi-Clinic for an undisclosed illness on 10 June 2005 and died two days later, at the age of 27. The official cause of death
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