46 year old Swaziland king takes 19 year old virgin as 14th wife

King Mswati III, absolute monarch of tiny southern African country Swaziland, has taken another wife in the form of a 19 year - old bride.

The palace announced that over 80,000 girls danced before the 46 year-old king in the annual Reed Dance or Umhlanga, from which the king is expected to choose another possible queen.

A royal news publication announced on Monday that the king had wed Queen LaFogiyane, whom he selected in last year's Reed Dance, in an unpublicised ceremony. She was seen seated next to the king's other wives, dressed in attire reserved for the queens.

Despite the announcement, many observers said that the number of girls present in the occasion marked by a national holiday, were less than half of the quoted number.

Also present at the reed dance was King Goodwill Zwelithini, king of the Zulu nation who has 6 wives.