Princess Zenebework
Encyclopedia
Princess Zenebework, also Zeneba Worq, (25 July 1918 – 25 March 1933) was the second daughter of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia
, and his wife the Empress Menen Asfaw
. Zenebework's full title was "Her Imperial Highness, Princess Zenebework Haile Selassie".
, Dejazmach Haile Selassie Gugsa
, a great-grandson of Emperor Yohannes IV. She was not yet 14 years old when they were married in Addis Ababa
. Haile Selassie Gugsa was the son of Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie
. He was thus the great-grandson of Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia by his son Ras Araya Selassie. At the time, western Tigray was ruled by Ras Seyoum Mengesha, the son of Ras Mengesha Yohannes
, another heir of Emperor Yohannes. The marriage between Princess Zenebework and Dejazmach Haile Selassie Gugsa was part of a dynastic alliance that also included the marriage of her brother, Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen to Princess Wolete Israel Seyoum
, the daughter of Ras Seyoum Mengesha.
Ties were thus strengthened between the reigning Shewa
branch of the Imperial dynasty with both rival sides of the Tigrean
branch of the dynasty. The marriage between Princess Zenebework and Dejazmach Haile Selassie however was evidently not a happy one, and the Princess is said to have complained of poor treatment. On his side, Dejazmach Haile Selassie resented that his cousin and rival Seyoum held the title of Ras while he was relegated to the lower rank of Dejazmach. The two branches of Emperor Yohannes's family had long competed for seniority, and although the province of Tigray had been split between them, Haile Selassie Gugsa resented not having the title of Ras. Princess Zenebework died suddenly in 1933, and upon hearing of her death, the distraught Emperor ordered that her body be flown immediately from Mekele and be brought to Addis Ababa
for burial. The reasons for this are unclear, but it may have had something to do with the Princess having repeatedly complained of her treatment at the hands of her husband and his family. This added to the resentment felt by her husband towards the Emperor, and a chill developed between the Emperor and his son-in-law.
Upon the Italian invasion
in 1935, Dejazmach Haile Selassie Gugsa shocked the Imperial family and his country by being among the first to join the Italians. The Italians rewarded him with the title of Ras, and recognized him as the senior prince of Tigray over Ras Seyoum who would later surrender to them and be placed under house arrest. Following the liberation of 1941, Haile Selassie Gugsa was labeled a traitor, and was placed under house arrest. His title of Ras that was bestowed by the Italians was not recognized by the Ethiopian government and he reverted to his old title of Dejazmach. He was not freed from his house arrest until after the fall of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1974, and died shortly thereafter.
Princess Zenebework is buried in the Imperial family crypt under Holy Trinity Cathedral
in Addis Ababa. A high school in the city was established in her memory.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, and his wife the Empress Menen Asfaw
Menen Asfaw
Empress Menen Asfaw was the wife and consort of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. Empress Menen was the daughter of Asfaw, Jantirar of Ambassel...
. Zenebework's full title was "Her Imperial Highness, Princess Zenebework Haile Selassie".
Biography
On 14 July 1932, Princess (Leult) Zenebework was married to the hereditary prince of eastern Tigray ProvinceTigray Province
Tigray was a province of Ethiopia. The Tigray Region superseded the province with the adoption of the new constitution in 1995. The province of Tigre merged with its neighboring provinces, including Semien, Tembien, Agame and the prominent Enderta province and towards the end of 19th century it...
, Dejazmach Haile Selassie Gugsa
Haile Selassie Gugsa
Haile Selassie Gugsa was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire.- Biography :Haile Selassie Gugsa was the son of Leul Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie...
, a great-grandson of Emperor Yohannes IV. She was not yet 14 years old when they were married in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
. Haile Selassie Gugsa was the son of Ras Gugsa Araya Selassie
Gugsa Araya Selassie
Gugsa Araya Selassie was an army commander and a member of the Royal family of the Ethiopian Empire.- Biography :Leul Gugsa Araya Selassie was the legitimate son of Ras Araya Selassie Yohannes...
. He was thus the great-grandson of Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia by his son Ras Araya Selassie. At the time, western Tigray was ruled by Ras Seyoum Mengesha, the son of Ras Mengesha Yohannes
Ras Mengesha Yohannes
Mengesha Yohannes was the "natural" son of Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia, Ras of Tigray, and, as a claimant of the Imperial throne, is often given the title of Leul. Ras Araya Selassie Yohannes was his older half brother.-Biography:Prior to the Battle of Metemma, Mengesha Yohannes was...
, another heir of Emperor Yohannes. The marriage between Princess Zenebework and Dejazmach Haile Selassie Gugsa was part of a dynastic alliance that also included the marriage of her brother, Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen to Princess Wolete Israel Seyoum
Wolete Israel Seyoum
Princess Wolete Israel Seyoum , was the daughter of Leul Ras Seyoum Mengesha, Prince of Tigray, and great-granddaughter of Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia. She was thus the sister of Leul Ras Mengesha Seyoum. She was first married to the much older Dejazmach Gebre Selassie Baria Gabr of Adwa by...
, the daughter of Ras Seyoum Mengesha.
Ties were thus strengthened between the reigning Shewa
Shewa
Shewa is a historical region of Ethiopia, formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire...
branch of the Imperial dynasty with both rival sides of the Tigrean
Tigray Province
Tigray was a province of Ethiopia. The Tigray Region superseded the province with the adoption of the new constitution in 1995. The province of Tigre merged with its neighboring provinces, including Semien, Tembien, Agame and the prominent Enderta province and towards the end of 19th century it...
branch of the dynasty. The marriage between Princess Zenebework and Dejazmach Haile Selassie however was evidently not a happy one, and the Princess is said to have complained of poor treatment. On his side, Dejazmach Haile Selassie resented that his cousin and rival Seyoum held the title of Ras while he was relegated to the lower rank of Dejazmach. The two branches of Emperor Yohannes's family had long competed for seniority, and although the province of Tigray had been split between them, Haile Selassie Gugsa resented not having the title of Ras. Princess Zenebework died suddenly in 1933, and upon hearing of her death, the distraught Emperor ordered that her body be flown immediately from Mekele and be brought to Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
for burial. The reasons for this are unclear, but it may have had something to do with the Princess having repeatedly complained of her treatment at the hands of her husband and his family. This added to the resentment felt by her husband towards the Emperor, and a chill developed between the Emperor and his son-in-law.
Upon the Italian invasion
Second Italo-Abyssinian War
The Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...
in 1935, Dejazmach Haile Selassie Gugsa shocked the Imperial family and his country by being among the first to join the Italians. The Italians rewarded him with the title of Ras, and recognized him as the senior prince of Tigray over Ras Seyoum who would later surrender to them and be placed under house arrest. Following the liberation of 1941, Haile Selassie Gugsa was labeled a traitor, and was placed under house arrest. His title of Ras that was bestowed by the Italians was not recognized by the Ethiopian government and he reverted to his old title of Dejazmach. He was not freed from his house arrest until after the fall of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1974, and died shortly thereafter.
Princess Zenebework is buried in the Imperial family crypt under Holy Trinity Cathedral
Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa)
Holy Trinity Cathedral, known in Amharic as Kidist Selassie, is the highest ranking Orthodox cathedral in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was built to commemorate Ethiopia's liberation from Italian occupation and is the second most important place of worship in Ethiopia, after the Church of Our Lady Mary...
in Addis Ababa. A high school in the city was established in her memory.