List of royal consorts of Ethiopia

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The royal consorts of Ethiopia were spouses of the monarchs of Ethiopia. In ancient times the territory of modern day Ethiopia included the Kingdom of Axum. In medieval times, a kingdom ruled by the Zagwe dynasty developed but was later deposed by the Solomonic dynasty, who would establish the Ethiopian Empire. The following list includes known consorts from the Axumite period to the abolition of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1975.

Axumite period (c. 100 – c. 960)[edit]

See also: List of kings of Axum
See also: List of legendary monarchs of Ethiopia
Name Spouse Notes
Sofya Ella Amida (r. early 320s to late 340s) Mother of Ezana and ruled as regent during his minority. The 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia includes Sofya as a reigning monarch in her own right under the name "Ahywa Sofya", with regnal dates of 299 to 306 (c. 306–313 on the Gregorian calendar).[1]
Admas Ella Gabaz (r. mid-6th century) According to legend, this queen was a daughter of a king named Ilassahl, who was murdered by Ella Gabaz (or Elagabaz).[2] Her brother, Suhal or Shahel, later murdered Elagabaz and his pagan wife Lab and proclaimed himself king.[2]
Lab According to legend, Lab was a pagan woman from a neighbouring district to Axum.[2] She was murdered along with her husband by Shahel, brother of Admas.[2] According to the 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia, this took place in 398 (c. 405 on the Gregorian Calendar).
Makia Maryam Ayzur (r. 8th century) A manuscript from Gojjam stated that she was the wife of a king named Ayzur, who only reigned for half a day due to being suffocated by a crowd on the day he was crowned.[3] According to the 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia, this took place in 780 (c. 787 on the Gregorian calendar).

Zagwe dynasty (c. 960 or 1137 – 1270)[edit]

The following table is incomplete.

Name Spouse Notes
Masoba Warq Mara Takla Haymanot According to one tradition, this woman was a daughter of Dil Na'od (the last king of Axum) who was overthrown by Mara Takla Haymanot in the 10th century.[4] However, many historians doubt the dating of the Zagwe dynasty beginning this early and other traditions do not mention Masoba Warq. A manuscript from Dabra Libanos listed 44 kings who ruled at Shewa following the deposition of Dil Na'od by Gudit, with Masoba Warq being named.[5] This list suggests that Masoba Warq may have been a Queen Regnant of Shewa.
Masqal Kibra Lalibela One tradition claims that she persuaded her husband to give the throne to Na'akueto La'ab, but convinced him to take the throne back 18 months later when La'ab's soldiers appropriated a poor farmer's only cow for the king's dinner table. The church of Biete Abba Libanos is said to have been built by this queen in memory of her husband.[6]

Solomonic dynasty[edit]

Pre-Gondarine period (1270 – 1682)[edit]

The following table is incomplete.

Name Picture Spouse Notes
Jan Mogassa[7] Amda Seyon I
(r. 1314–1344) 		Formally a concubine of Wedem Arad.
3 wives (possibly including Lazzab Warqa) Newaya Krestos
(r. 1344–1372) 		Newaya Krestos married these three women after he became king.[8]
Lazzab Warqa Mother of Dawit I.
Seyon Mangasha[9] Dawit I
(r. 1382–1413) 		Mother of Tewodros I.
Igzi Kebra[9] Mother of Zara Yaqob.[10]
Eleni Zara Yaqob
(r. 1434–1468) 		Born in the Hadiya Sultanate. Following the Sultanate's invasion by Zara Yaqob, she was captured, baptised and married to the Ethiopian Emperor. She was given the title of "Queen Mother" by her step-son Baeda Maryam I following his accession to the throne in 1468. Ruled as Queen Regent from 1507 to 1516 during the minority of Dawit II. Died in April 1522.
Seyon Morgasa Mother of Baeda Maryam I. Died in 1462.
Gera Ba'altihat (or Fere Maryam)[11] Her children were named Berhan Zamada, Madhen Zamada, Sabala Maryam and Del Debaba.[11]
Romna Wark[12] Baeda Maryam I
(r. 1468–1478) 		Mother of two sons, Eskender and 'Enkua 'Esra'el.[13] She ruled as regent during the reign of her son Eskender.[12]
Eresh-Gazet[14] Mother of Theodore.[14]
Kalyupe[14] Mother of Na'od.[15]
Na'od Mogesa Na'od
(r. 1494–1508) 		Mother of Dawit II.
Seble Wongel Dawit II
(r. 1508–1540) 		Married in either 1512 or 1513. Mother of Gelawdewos and Menas. Died on 5 December 1567.
Adimas Moas Menas
(r. 1559–1563) 		Daughter of Robel, governor of Bora and Selawe. Married Menas before he became Emperor.
Admas Mogasa[16] Mother of Sarsa Dengel.[16] Outlived her husband.[16]
Maryam Sena Sarsa Dengel
(r. 1563–1597) 		Influenced her husband to choose Yaqob instead of Za Dengel as his successor.
Nazarena Yaqob
(r. 1597–1603 and 1604–1607) 		A foreigner. Had 3 sons.
Woizero Wangelawit Za Dengel
(r. 1603–1604) 		Daughter of Susenyos I.
Seltan Mogasa Susenyos I
(r. 1606–1632) 		Also known as Wald Sa'ala.[16] Mother of Fasilides and six other children.[16] Died in 1661.[16]

Gondarine period (1682 – 1769)[edit]

The following table is incomplete.

Picture Name Birth Marriage Became Consort Coronation Ceased to Be Consort Death Spouse
Sabla Wangel[17] Unknown 19 July 1682
Husband's death 		January 1689[18] Yohannes I
Walatta Seyon Unknown September 1683 Unknown May 1693[19] Iyasu I
First wife of Bakaffa Unknown Unknown
Died on the day of her coronation 		Bakaffa
Mentewab c. 1706 6 September 1722 Unknown 19 September 1730
Husband's death 		27 June 1773
Woman from Amhara[20] Unknown Iyasu II
Welete Bersabe Unknown

Era of the Princes (1769 – 1855)[edit]

The following table is incomplete.

Picture Name Birth Marriage Became Consort Coronation Ceased to Be Consort Death Spouse
Waletta Selassie Unknown Yohannes II
Walatta Iyasus Unknown 1801 Unknown 12 June 1818
Husband's death 		Unknown Egwale Seyon
Menen Liben Amede Unknown Before 1840 30 August 1840
Husband's accession 		Unknown October 1841
Husband's deposition[nb 1] 		1858 Yohannes III

Modern Ethiopia (1855 – 1975)[edit]

Picture Name Birth Marriage Became Consort Coronation Ceased to Be Consort Death Spouse
Tewabech Ali 1831 1848 11 February 1855
Husband's accession 		Unknown 19 August 1858 Tewodros II
Tiruwork Wube Unknown February 1860 Unknown 13 April 1868
Husband's death 		16 May 1868
Dinqinesh Mercha 1815 Before 1868 11 June 1868
Husband's accession 		Unknown 11 July 1871[nb 2]
Husband's deposition 		August 1907 Tekle Giyorgis II
Taytu Betul 1851 1882 10 March 1889
Husband's accession 		4 November 1889 12 December 1913
Husband's death 		11 February 1918 Menelik II
Sabla Wangel Hailu 1895 or 1896 1909 or 1910 12 December 1913
Husband's accession 		Not crowned[nb 3] 27 September 1916
Husband's deposition 		1969 Lij Iyasu
Iyasu V
Gugsa Welle 1875 1900 27 September 1916
Wife's accession 		Not crowned 21 March 1930
Died at the Battle of Anchem 		Zewditu
Menen Asfaw 25 March 1889 1909[21] 2 April 1930
Husband's accession 		12 September 1974
Husband's deposition 		15 February 1962 Haile Selassie
Medferiashwork Abebe 1922 1945 12 September 1974[nb 4]
Husband's accession 		Not crowned 12 March 1975[nb 5]
Monarchy abolished 		13 March 2009 Amha Selassie

Italian occupation of Ethiopia (1936 – 1943)[edit]

Victor Emmanuel III, king of Italy, was declared Emperor of Ethiopia in 1936 after the Italian victory in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. Italy was later defeated in the East African campaign and lost control of its Ethiopian territories in April 1941, but Victor Emmanuel did not formally renounce his title until November 1943.

Picture Name Birth Marriage Became Consort Coronation Ceased to Be Consort Death Spouse
Elena of Montenegro 8 January 1873 24 October 1896 9 May 1936
Husband declared Emperor 		Not crowned 5 May 1941
De facto end of Italian rule

November 1943
(De jure) 		28 November 1928 Victor Emmanuel III

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Became Empress again during the brief second and third reigns of her husband in 1845 and 1850–1851 respectively.
  2. ^ Retained the title of "Empress" during the reign of her brother Yohannes IV (r. 1871-1889) as he was a widower throughout his reign.
  3. ^ Her husband was never crowned.
  4. ^ Assumed the title of "Empress-in-exile" on 8 April 1989 when her husband assumed the title of "Emperor-in-exile".
  5. ^ Retained the title of "Empress-in-exile" until her husband's death on 17 January 1997.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Rey, C. F. (1927). In the Country of the Blue Nile. London: Camelot Press. p. 270.
  2. ^ a b c d Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 259.
  3. ^ Selassie, Sergew Hable (1972). "The Problem of Gudit". Journal of Ethiopian Studies. 10 (1): 115. JSTOR 41965849.
  4. ^ Taddesse Tamrat. "The Legacy of Aksum and Adafa" in Church and State in Ethiopia. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972, pp. 53–64.
  5. ^ Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. pp. 218–219.
  6. ^ Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 177.
  7. ^ Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 290.
  8. ^ Taddesse Tamrat, Church and State in Ethiopia (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972), pp. 117f.
  9. ^ a b Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 301.
  10. ^ Danver, Steven L (2015). Native Peoples of the World: An Encyclopedia of Groups, Cultures and Contemporary Issues. Routledge. pp. 15–16. ISBN 9781317464006.
  11. ^ a b Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 307.
  12. ^ a b Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 320.
  13. ^ Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 317.
  14. ^ a b c Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 319.
  15. ^ James Bruce, Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile (1805 edition), vol. 3, p. 148
  16. ^ a b c d e f Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 2). London: Methuen & Co. p. 384.
  17. ^ Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 2). London: Methuen & Co. p. 406.
  18. ^ Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 2). London: Methuen & Co. p. 411.
  19. ^ Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 2). London: Methuen & Co. p. 415.
  20. ^ Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume II). London: Methuen & Co. p. 459.
  21. ^ Haile Selassie, My Life and Ethiopia's Progress (Chicago: Frontline Distribution International, 1999), pp. 41f.
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