Ngwenyama of Swaziland (now Eswatini), Sobhuza II, photographed in 1945. Sobhuza II holds the record as the longest verifiable reign of any monarch in recorded history, ascending to the throne at 4 months old on the 10 December 1899, and reigning for 82 years and 254 days until his death at the age of 83 on the 21 August 1982.