A Marriage of Inconvenience: The Persecution of Ruth and Seretse KhamaIn 1948, a young white English woman, Ruth Williams, made headline news all over the world. For she had met, fallen in love with, and married Seretse Khama, an African prince and heir to the chieftainship of a tribe of more than 100,000 people—the Bamangwato. At first, the marriage was no more welcome in Africa than in government circles in London. Within a year of their wedding, the young couple had provoked an astonishing series of events that had never been explained. The British government was determined to prevent Seretse taking his rightful place at the head of his tribe. The Bamangwato, to their credit, accepted the marriage and welcomed Ruth as their queen. Attlee’s Labour government embarked on what appeared to be a vendetta against them, robbing Seretse of his birthright and his people of their chief. In the process, Seretse and Ruth were forcibly separated while she awaited the birth of their first child. Now having access to Ministerial telegrams and Cabinet documents, the author can tell the full story. Includes photos provided by Lady Ruth Khama. |
Contents
Gods People | |
For the Greater Good | |
In the Interest of the Nation 13 No Alternative | |
Mrs Jones Flies | |
Loaded Dice | |
Coverup | |
The Invitation | |
Money on the Table | |
Seachange | |
Pula | |
The Perfect Chief | |
Tricked | |
Midsummer Madness | |
Shattered Faith | |
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accept administration affair Afrikaners agreed allowed announced apartheid arrived asked Attlee Bamangwato Bamangwato Reserve Baring’s Bechuanaland Protectorate began Boers Botswana Britain British government Buchanan Cabinet cabled Cape Town chieftainship Colonial Office colour Commonwealth Office Commonwealth Secretary decided decision District Commissioner felt Fraenkel Francistown Goareng GordonWalker government’s High Commissioner judicial inquiry Keith Kgotla Kgotla ground Labour Leary Constantine Lobatsi London Missionary Society Mafeking Mahalapye Malan marriage married meeting Moikangoa Monks morning National Party night NoelBaker NoelBaker’s Orchard Palapye Pilkington political Pretoria Prime Minister Queen Radipophu recognise Seretse recognition of Seretse refused regent replied Resident Commissioner Ruth and Seretse Ruth’s Sekgoma senior Seretse as chief Seretse Khama Seretse’s Serowe Sillery Sir Percivale Liesching Smuts South Africa southern Africa Southern Rhodesia talk telegram told Transvaal tribal tribe tribesmen Tshekedi Tswana Union uranium village wanted white woman wife wrote young