“Royalty”: Sotho Queens Arrive at Buckingham Palace in Traditional Wear and the World Stops To Stare

• Lesotho content creator and interior designer Phomolo Ramokhethi showed how she and a friend arrived at Buckingham Palace in London in a carriage
• The two women wore Seshoeshoe dresses with traditional head wraps and blankets pinned around their shoulders
• People shared their pride, with many saying the clip looked like something straight out of a royal film

Phomolo Ramokhethi, a Lesotho-based content creator and interior designer, gave the world a moment to remember on 17 May 2026. She and a friend explored the streets of London and made their way to Buckingham Palace in a horse-drawn carriage. The women were dressed head to toe in traditional Sesotho clothing.

Both women wore Seshoeshoe dresses with matching head wraps and traditional Basotho blankets pinned elegantly around their shoulders. As the carriage rolled through the city with another one ahead of it, pedestrians on the pavements stopped and watched. Phomolo and the woman beside looked out at the London buildings around them as the horses clip-clopped along the road.

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The Landau-style open-top carriage is pulled by a pair of horses and driven by a uniformed coachman. It is one of London's most iconic ways to experience the city. The route takes in the Royal Parks and some of London's most famous landmarks before arriving at Buckingham Palace, making it the kind of entrance that is hard to forget.

What makes Sesotho traditional dress so special?

The Seshoeshoe fabric is one of the most recognisable symbols of Basotho culture. It is a printed cotton fabric that came to Lesotho through trade. It was adopted so deeply into the culture that it is now considered a national fabric.

It's worn at weddings, graduations, cultural events and formal occasions. The Basotho blanket is also iconic, and is more than just clothing. It is a symbol of identity, status and cultural pride. Traditionally given as a gift at important life events, the blanket is worn draped over the shoulders and is central to Basotho dress for both men and women.

Seeing both of these pieces worn together at one of the most famous landmarks in the world made the video even more powerful.

Watch the Instagram clip here.

People love the Sotho queens at Buckingham Palace

The comments came pouring in from people who were completely taken by the moment Instagram user @empress_phomolo shared:

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@neo_dongwana said:

"What a privilege. How regal you both look 💐💗"

@tsimo_music declared:

"Sotho queens 😍❤️"

@rebo_ntenteni wrote:

"Bridgerton has to acknowledge this ❤️"

@selinah675 said:

"Looking beautiful 🔥❤️"

@mbaureloaded simply said:

"Wow 🔥"

@startalentgroupuk called out:

"La ba batle, bana ba Moshoeshoe!"

@travelwithus177 joked:

"I didn't get the memo, I would've joined in."

More going on in Lesotho

• Briefly News recently reported on a young Lesotho learner who ran a moot court so confidently that people said even law students felt the pressure.
• Two travellers broke down the cost of a Lesotho ski trip for eight people at Afriski Mountain Resort.
• A South African woman revealed exactly how much she spent on a three-day Lesotho trip from Johannesburg with a friend.

Source: Briefly News