A week after his death, she had him laid to rest in the crypt of Windsor Castle. The contrast with his father’s treatment was enormous. The British army cut off locks of hair from his corpse as a trophy. They came into the possession of the National Army Museum through an artist who painted him in state. They were only returned to Ethiopia a few years ago. His treasures are still displayed in display cases in the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Alemayehu lived on in the imagination. Ethiopian delegations paid visits to his grave. Even Haile Selassie, the last emperor, went to St George’s Chapel. Despite presidential intervention, a repatriation is not an option. King Charles, like Queen Elizabeth II before him, does not allow the crypt to be opened. This decision, whether or not it is fair on archaeological grounds, does not do the name of the royal house any good.
Ethiopia may never have been colonized, the refusal raises questions about the aftermath of British imperialism. Countries within the Commonwealth – nations from the former Empire – are already emphatically considering saying goodbye to King Charles as head of state. Perhaps awaiting public reaction, the palace has left the door slightly ajar. “Very unlikely” is not a definitive ‘no’.
Abebech Kasa, a distant descendant, hopes for compassion. “We don’t want him to stay in a foreign country,” he told the newspaper BBC. “He had such a sad life. When I think of him, I cry.”
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