The post-war period in Ethiopian history was one of unprecidented development and change. The Emperor returned to a country that had recieved some benefits in infrastructure development fromt the colonial administration of Italy, but much had been distroyed in the war, and the British had instituted a parallel administration to his own. It would take years to dislodge them.
Above, Ethiopian guerrilla resistance fighters pay homage to the Emperor on the day that he returned to his capital, May 5th, 1941, five years to the day of it's occupation by the Italians.
The French Ambassador to Ethiopia bows to the Emperor on the occassion of the dedication of the Memorial Cross at Massawa in Honor of the French and other Allies who Fought to help liberate Ethiopia from Fascism.
The history of this period, the height of the Emperor's reign leading to his Silver Jubilee, and the decline, from the 1960 coup attempt to the revolution of 1974 is comming soon.
Emperor Haile Selassie, Empress Menen and the entire Imperial Court attend the Silver Jubilee Service a the Cathedral of St. George, November 2nd, 1955.
Their Imperial Majesties on their way for the State Opening of Parliament during the 1955 Silver Jubilee celebrations, when the new revised constitution went into effect.
His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen
Merid Azmatch and Governor General of Wollo
Later Emperor-in-Exile Amha Selassie I
Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Medferiashwork AbebeLater Empress Medferiashwork
Her Imperial Highness Princess Tenagnework
Vice-Reine of Eritrea
His Imperial Highness Prince Makonnen
Duke of Harrar
Her Imperial Highness Princess Sara
Duchess of Harrar
His Imperial Highness Prince Sahle Selassie
Emperor Haile Selassie I, and his family in the mid Sixties. The Group of Adults in the middle of the picture, are Crown Princess (later Empress) Medferiashwork, Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen (later Emperor-in-Exile Amha Selassie), Emperor Haile Selassie,Princess Tenagnework, Princess Sara Duchess of Harrar, and Princess Mahitsente. They are surrounded by their children, grandchildren, and in-laws.
Emperor Haile Selassie had a large family. His first marriage was to Woizero Altayech,
by whom he had a daughter, Her Imperial Highness Princess Romanework Haile Selassie. Princess
Romanework was married to Dejazmatch Beyene Merid, and had four sons, two of which survived to adulthood. They were Dejazmatch Samson Beyene, and
Dejazmatch Merid Beyene. Dejazmatch Beyene Merid died fighting the fascist Italian invasion in 1936.
Princess Romanework and her sons were captured by the Italians, and imprisoned in Italy, where the
Princess died on Asinara island in 1940, and her body was returned to the Imperial Family after the
restoration of 1941. Her sons returned to Ethiopia and were raised by their grandfather the Emperor. Dejazmatch Samson died in Ethiopia before the revolution. He had been married to Woizero Koremtit Andargatchew, daughter of Ras Andargatche Messai and step-dauther of Princess Tenagnework his aunt. The have one son, Lij Sibistianos Samson. Dejazmatch Merid died in exile in London without issue in 1990. Emperor Haile Selassie was next married to Empress Menen Asfaw, who had previously been
the wife of Ras Leulseged Atnaf Seged, an old Shewan noble. Woizero Menen was the daughter of Jantirar
Asfaw of Anbassel (Jantirar is a hereditary title reserved for the ruler of Anbassel and is one of the
oldest titles in Ethiopia). Her mother was Woizero Sehin Michael, daughter of King Michael of Wollo and
sister of Lij Eyasu. Her Imperial Majesty was thus the neice of Lij Eyasu. In 1930, she was crowned Empress-consort
upon the coronation of her husband as Emperor.
The Emperor, surrounded by grandsons and great-grandsons recieves delegates giving him holiday greetings at Ethiopian New Year.
Empress Menen and Emperor Haile Selassie were the parents
of six children. The eldest was Princess Tenagnework, followed by Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen
(later Amha Selassie I,Emperor-in-Exile),Princess Zenebework,Princess Tsehai,Prince Makonnen Duke (Mesfin)
of Harrar, and Prince Sahle Selassie. Princess Tenagnework first married Ras Desta Damtew who died fighting
the Italians in 1936. By him she had two sons, Prince Amha Desta, and Prince Rear-Admiral Iskinder Desta, as well
as four daughters, Princesses Aida, Seble, Sophia, and Hirut. Prince Amha Desta died young (possibly of tuberculosis) in Englad during the exile of the Imperial family there. He had no children and was never married. Princess Aida would marry the hereditary prince
of Tigrai, Ras Mengesha Seyoum, and had four sons and a daughter. They are Lij Michael Sehul, Lij Yohannis, Lij Stephanos, Lij Jalliye and Woizero Menen Mengesha. Princess Seble Desta would marry the heir to the Oromo ruling family of Leqa-Qellem principality of Wellega Dejazmatch
Kassa Jote. They would have four daughters and a son, Woizero Jote, Woizero Yeshi, Woizerit Lally, Woizerit Kokeb and Lij Amha Kassa. Princess Sophia Desta would marry Captain Dereje Haile Mariam , and had a daughter, Woizero Hanna Dereje. Princess Hirut Desta would marry Gen. Nega Tegegne.
Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen first married Princess Wollete Israel Seyoum, daughter of the then hereditary prince of Tigrai Ras Seyoum Mengesha. They had one daughter, Princess Ijigayehu Asfaw Wossen. Princes Ijigayehu was married to the heir of the ruling Oromo family of Leqa-Neqemt in Wellega, Dejazmatch Fikre Selassie Hapte Mariam. They had six children (see details under page for Emperor Amha Selassie I on main page).
Following his divorce from from his first wife, the Crown Prince married Medferiashwork Abebe, daughter of General Abebe Damtew. The new Crown Princess was thus the neice of Ras Desta Damtew, first husband of Princess Tenagnework. Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen had four more children with Crown Princess Medferiash. They are Princess Mariam Senna (Mary), Princess Sefrash Bizu, Princess Sehin, and Prince Zera Yacob
(See under Emperor Amha Selassie). Princess Zenebework Haile Selassie married Dejazmatch Haile Selassie Gugsa, son
of the other hereditary prince of Tigrai, Ras Gugsa Araya. Princess Zenebework died in 1934, and her husband defected to
the fascist Italians on the eve of the 1935 war. He was sent into internal exile after the restoration. Princess Tsehai
Haile Selassie was married to General Abiye Abebe, but died in childbirth in 1941. General Abiye continued to be accorded the protocol rank of the Emperor's son-in-law, even after his remarriage. General Abiye served in a number of capacities in the Imperial government including Crown Representative in Eritrea, Senator, and Minister of Defence. Lt. General Abiye Abebe was executed with the other high government official by the Derg in November of
1974. Prince Makonnen Haile Selassie, Duke of Harrar was married to Princess Sara Gizaw Duches of Harrar. They had five sons,Princes Wossen Seged,
Taffari, Makonnen (David),Michael, and Beide Mariam. Prince Sahle Selassie Haile Selassie was married to Princess Mahisente
Hapte Mariam, daughter of the heir to the Oromo principality of Leqa-Neqemt. They had one son, Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, who is the current President of the Ethiopian Crown Council in exile.
From left to right,Princess Sara Gizaw,Duchess of Harrar carrying her son Prince Wossen Seged, Crown Princess Medferiashwork Abebe with her son Prince Zera Yacob, Princess Tenagnework Haile Selassie, Emperor Haile Selassie, Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen, Prince Makonnen Duke of Harrar
The Emperor of Ethiopia
Her Imperial Majesty visiting the Empress Menen School for Girls which she founded
Prince Makonnen, Duke of Harrar, was killed in a car crash on his way to the resort town of Nazareth in 1959. Prince Sahle Selassie
died of illness in 1961. Her Imperial Majesty Empress Menen also died in 1961 after many years of ill health. The Empress, the Duke
of Harrar, Prince Sahle Selassie, Princess Zenebework, Princess Romanework, and Ras Desta Damtew (first husband of Princess Tenagnework
were all buried in the crypt of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa. Princess Tsehai was buried at the Ba'eta Le Mariam Monastery Church, in the Imperial
mausoleum with Emperor Menelik II, Empress Taitu and Empress Zewditu. Emperor Haile Selassie had built a huge new sarcophagus for himself
and a matching one for his wife in the north trancept of the Nave in Holy Trinity Cathedral. He planed to move the Empress' remains from the crypt under
the cathedral to this new tomb,and to be buried there himself. However, the revolution intervened, and the Empress remained in her original
tomb until November 2000. Following the disinternment of the Emperor's remains from the secret grave he was placed in by the Derg in 1991, disputes between the government
in Ethiopia and the Imperial family over whether the Emperor should receve a state funeral or not, erupted. The Emperor's remains were
placed in the mausoleum at the Ba'eta Le Mari
