In 1911, a young Ethiopian nobleman named Tafari Makonnen married Menen Asfaw, a granddaughter of a powerful Ethiopian ruler. He would later become Emperor Haile Selassie, one of the most famous African leaders of the twentieth century, and she would be crowned beside him as Empress. Their marriage lasted more than fifty years, through coronation, Italian invasion, exile and return. It is one of the most notable royal marriages in modern African history.
Tafari, Menen and the coronation
Tafari was born in 1892 in Ethiopia’s Harar region, the son of Ras Makonnen, a cousin and adviser of Emperor Menelik II. Menen Asfaw was born around 1890. She was a granddaughter of Negus Mikael of Wollo and had been married before. The couple married in 1911, a union that strengthened ties between powerful families. They had several children, including Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen.
In November 1930, Tafari was crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I, and Menen was crowned Empress in the same ceremony in Addis Ababa.
Exile, return and Rastafari
The Empress supported education for girls, founding a school for girls in Addis Ababa, and charitable causes. In 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia. The imperial family went into exile in 1936, living in Bath, England. In 1941, after Italian forces were defeated, the Emperor returned to Ethiopia, and the Empress later rejoined him. The couple remained together until Empress Menen died in February 1962.
In the Rastafari movement, which reveres Haile Selassie, Empress Menen is also honoured. Haile Selassie was overthrown in 1974 and died in 1975. Their marriage is remembered as a partnership at the centre of Ethiopian history for half a century.
A royal partnership and burial
Observers noted that the Empress was a steady presence beside the Emperor at public events, religious ceremonies and state occasions. She was also known for her devotion to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Several of their children died before their parents, a source of deep grief for the couple. The family’s losses were felt across the country.
Empress Menen was buried at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa. Decades later, Haile Selassie’s remains were reburied beside her. Haile Selassie and Menen Asfaw were crowned together in 1930 and exiled together six years later. Their marriage survived both the throne and the loss of it.
