Ruth Williams Khama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruth Williams Khama
1st First Lady of Botswana
In role 30 September 1966 – 13 July 1980
President	Seretse Khama
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Gladys Olebile Masire
Personal details
Born	Ruth Williams (1923-12-09)9 December 1923 Blackheath, London
Died	22 May 2002(2002-05-22) (aged 78) Gaborone, Botswana
Resting place	Royal Cemetery, Serowe, Botswana
Political party	Botswana Democratic Party
Spouse	Seretse Khama ​ ​ (m. 1948; died 1980)​
Children	Jacqueline Khama Ian Khama Tshekedi Khama II Anthony Khama

Ruth Williams Khama, Lady Khama (born December 9, 1923 – died May 22, 2002) was a very important person in the history of Botswana. She was the wife of Sir Seretse Khama, who became Botswana's first president. She was also the first First Lady of Botswana, serving from 1966 to 1980.

Early Life and Education

Ruth Williams was born in London, England. Her father, George Williams, was a captain in the British Army. He later worked in the tea business. Ruth had a sister named Muriel, and they were always very close.

Ruth went to Eltham Hill Grammar School. During World War II, she helped as an ambulance driver for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). After the war, she worked as a clerk for an insurance company called Cuthbert Heath at Lloyd's of London.

A Special Marriage

In June 1947, Ruth met Prince Seretse Khama at a dance in London. Seretse was a prince from the Bamangwato people in Africa. He was studying law in London. Ruth and Seretse both loved jazz music and quickly fell in love. Seretse was the first Black man Ruth had ever spoken to. People who knew Ruth described her as a "woman of strong character."

Their plan to marry caused a lot of problems. Leaders in Seretse's home country, Bechuanaland (now Botswana), were not happy. The government of South Africa, which had a strict system of racial segregation called apartheid, was also against their marriage.

The British government tried to stop the marriage. They were worried about upsetting South Africa because Britain needed uranium from South Africa for its atomic bomb program. Ruth and Seretse wanted to marry in a church, but no priest would marry them without the government's permission.

Ruth and Seretse got married at a government office in London on September 29, 1948. Their marriage became big news around the world. The Prime Minister of South Africa, Daniel Malan, said their marriage was "nauseating." But Julius Nyerere, who later became President of Tanzania, called it "one of the great love stories of the world."

Arriving in Bechuanaland

After their wedding, Ruth and Seretse went back to Bechuanaland. Seretse's uncle, Tshekedi Khama, was ruling the Bamangwato people at the time. He found it hard to accept a white woman as the wife of their future king. He asked the British government to make Seretse give up his wife or his claim to the throne.

The South African government was very angry about the marriage. They saw Ruth, who they called the "White Queen," as a threat to their apartheid system. They even banned Ruth and Seretse from entering South Africa. Some South African newspapers even suggested invading Bechuanaland if Ruth stayed there.

Ruth arrived in Bechuanaland in August 1949. It was a very good rainy season, which the Bamangwato people saw as a good sign. They called her the "Rain Queen." Ruth took part in a special ceremony where women sang and offered her water and corn, calling her "the mother of us all!" Ruth did not like talking to reporters because many newspaper stories about her and Seretse were unfair or untrue.

Living in Exile

In March 1950, Seretse was called to London for talks with British officials. Ruth felt that it was a trick and told him not to go. She was pregnant and wanted her child to be born in Bechuanaland, as was the custom for a future king.

Ruth was right. Seretse was stopped from returning home and told he had to stay in exile. The British government offered him money to give up his claim to the throne, but he refused. He was then banned from Bechuanaland for five years. Ruth was very lonely without him, as she didn't speak the local language and many white people in Bechuanaland avoided her.

The British public was mostly on Ruth and Seretse's side. Many people felt it was unfair that the British government was giving in to South Africa's demands. Ruth joined Seretse in England, and they lived in exile in Croydon from 1951.

Even though Winston Churchill, a famous British leader, had criticized the ban when he was not in power, he extended it for life when he became Prime Minister. He claimed Seretse's return would cause problems, but riots actually broke out in Bechuanaland when people learned the Khamas couldn't come home. Seretse became sad during his exile.

Returning Home

People in Bechuanaland kept supporting Ruth and Seretse. In 1956, the Bamangwato people sent a message to Queen Elizabeth II, and the couple was finally allowed to return. Seretse gave up his claim to the throne and became a cattle farmer.

Seretse then started a political party called the Bechuanaland Democratic Party. He won the 1965 election and became the Prime Minister. He worked hard for Bechuanaland to become independent, which happened in 1966. Seretse Khama became the first president of independent Botswana. He was also given the title of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Lady Khama was a very active and important First Lady during her husband's time as president, from 1966 to 1980.

Family Life

Lady Khama and Seretse had four children. Their first child, Jacqueline, was born in Bechuanaland in 1951, shortly after Seretse was sent into exile. Their first son, Ian Khama, was born in England in 1953. Twins Anthony and Tshekedi Khama II were born in Bechuanaland in 1958.

Ruth stayed in Botswana after her husband passed away in 1980. She was known as "Mohumagadi Mma Kgosi" (mother of the king, or queen mother). Despite all the challenges they faced, Ruth and Seretse were always together until he died from cancer in 1980.

After Seretse's death, Ruth lived on a large farm in Botswana. She spent her time helping others through charity work and enjoying time with her children and grandchildren.

Two of their sons, Ian and Tshekedi, became important politicians in Botswana. Ian Khama was even elected as the President of Botswana in 2008.

Death

Lady Khama died in Gaborone, Botswana, in 2002 at the age of 78. She passed away from throat cancer. She was buried in Botswana next to her beloved husband.

Books and Articles

• Dutfield, Michael (1990). A Marriage of Inconvenience: The Persecution of Ruth and Seretse Khama. London: Unwin-Hyman. ISBN 163168101X.
• Williams, Susan (2006). Colour Bar: The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation. London: Penguin. ISBN 0713998113.

See also

In Spanish: Ruth Williams Khama para niños