King's Wife Fails to Block Attempt to Marry 3rd Wife

The first wife of the king of South Africa's Zulu Kingdom failed in an effort to legally block her husband's attempt to take a third wife—but the marriage was still called off, for undisclosed reasons. King Misuzulu kaZwelithini married Queen Ntokozo kaMayisela in a civil service in 2021, the year before he ascended to the throne, the BBC reports. Polygamous marriages are only allowed in South Africa if they are registered as "traditional weddings," but since the queen had reportedly agreed to convert the marriage from civil to traditional, a judge ruled Monday that the king's wedding to Nomzamo Myeni could proceed.

The BBC notes that it's not clear why the queen did not object when the king married his second wife, Queen Nozizwe Mulela-Zulu, in 2022. The king is considered "hugely influential" despite his lack of formal political power, but his reign appears to be in turmoil, per the BBC. In recent weeks, he has fired top officials including his traditional prime minister. In a letter to authorities in KwaZulu-Natal province, the king said the wedding, which was postponed last month, had been called off due to "reasons beyond the control of the royal house," News24. Sources say royal staffer think is "bossy and manipulative" and the king has been telling people he doesn't want to get married. (More Zulu stories.)