The Umhlanga Reed Dance Ceremony is an annual event in Swaziland where thousands of unmarried girls (maidens), from the age of 5 to their mid 20s, participate in an eight-day expression of chastity and independence. They dance bear-breasted to the king of Swaziland who has the opportunity to choose a new wife or mistress from the crowd of maidens. The current ruler of Swaziland, King Mswati III, has 15 wives - this is a photo of his entourage at the 2014 Umhlanga ceremony in Lubombo.