Brought from Britain in 1868, died young at 18 due to illness
Ethiopia demands return of remains and relics
UK Royal Family refuses, citing concerns over disturbing other remains
The remains of a tragic Ethiopian prince who died young in 19th century England will remain in the UK, with only his hair returning to his homeland.
According to a BBC report on the 22nd (local time), on the 21st, the Ethiopian ambassador to the UK received the hair of Prince Alemayehu, who died over 140 years ago, and artifacts looted from Emperor Tewodros II's fortress at an evening commemorative ceremony.
Prince Alemayehu lost his parents and was taken to England, where he lived unhappily for over 10 years before dying of illness at the age of 18 in 1879. The prince's mother, Empress Tiruwork Wube, died while being taken to England with her son, and his father, Emperor Tewodros II, committed suicide during a battle at the fortress, refusing to be taken prisoner.
Previously, in 1862, the emperor sent a letter to Queen Victoria of England expressing his desire to form an alliance to strengthen Abyssinia (the old name for Ethiopia), but receiving no response, he took Europeans hostage, including the British consul. In response, Britain sent troops to rescue the hostages, looted many artifacts from the fortress, and took the prince and empress with them.
Prince Alemayehu arrived in England in 1868. Queen Victoria, feeling pity for the orphaned prince, sponsored him and appointed a guardian, but the prince was bullied at school and struggled to adapt to the cold weather. Ultimately, after staying in England for 11 years, he died from an illness presumed to be pneumonia. Upon his death, Queen Victoria mourned him and had him buried in the underground cemetery of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
The prince's hair, which is now being returned to Ethiopia, was kept by Captain Tristram Charles Sawyer Speedy, who was the prince's guardian in England at the time. Captain Speedy's descendants living in New Zealand told Canadian broadcaster CBC in an interview that they discovered the prince's hair among their family heirlooms.
Ethiopia is demanding the return of other artifacts as well as the repatriation of the prince's remains, but the British royal family has refused. The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested the return of the remains, stating that "Prince Alemayehu was a prisoner of war," and Fasil Minas, a descendant of the Ethiopian royal family, said, "As a family and as Ethiopians, we hope his remains return. The UK is not his birthplace," adding, "It is not right that he is buried in England."
However, a spokesperson for the British royal family stated that relocating Prince Alemayehu's remains from the underground cemetery of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle is difficult because it could affect the remains of others. Buckingham Palace explained, "It is almost impossible to excavate the remains without disturbing many others nearby," and added, "We sensitively acknowledge the need to honor Prince Alemayehu, but we also have a responsibility to preserve the dignity of the deceased." The prince's tombstone bears the inscription, "I was a stranger and you took me in."
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