Order of the Holy Trinity (Ethiopia)

The Order of the Holy Trinity is an Ethiopian house order, established by Haile Selassie I on November 2, 1930, to celebrate his coronation.[1] It currently ranks as the fourth highest award in the Ethiopian order of precedence.[2]

Order of the Holy Trinity
Haile Selassie in full dress, wearing the badge of the order (rightmost of the four badges).
Awarded by  Ethiopia
TypeDynastic order
EstablishedNovember 2, 1930
Royal houseSolomonic Dynasty
Religious affiliationEthiopian Orthodoxy
RibbonRed with yellow edges
EligibilityEthiopian citizens and foreign nationals, both civilian and military
Awarded forOutstanding service to the Throne
GradesGrand Cross with Collar
Grand Cross
Post-nominalsGCHT*
GCHT
Former gradesKnight Grand Cross
Grand Officer
Commander
Officer
Member
Precedence
Next (higher)Order of the Queen of Sheba
Next (lower)Order of Menelik II

Ribbon bar of the order

History

Haile Selassie established the Order of the Holy Trinity on November 2, 1930, as a way to celebrate his coronation as Emperor of Ethiopia following the death of Empress Zewditu on April 2. Initially established in five grades, it was only awarded to a select group of Ethiopian aristocracy, high-ranking clergy, and senior members of the Imperial Court. Eventually, the order was slimmed down to one grade, Grand Cross (with an additional Grand Collar to denote exceptionally extraordinary service), and made available to foreigners, both civilian and military.[3] Following the fall of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1975, the Order of the Holy Trinity remained present in the Ethiopian honors system, under the custody of the Crown Council. The current Grand Master of the order is Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, grandson of Haile Selassie, and current president of the Crown Council.[4]

Insignia
Closeup of breast star

The badge and breast star of the Order of the Holy Trinity are both circular bronze-gilt medallions, bearing the points of a cross fleury. On the face of each medallion is an enamel trilobe emblem, divided by a forked cross, with each lobe depicting an image of (counterclockwise from the top) God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit. Circumscribing the inner emblem is an Amharic phrase, written using Ge'ez script.[5] For the badge of the order, the entire medallion is suspended from the sash by a bronze-gilt Ethiopian Imperial crown.[6]

Notable Recipients

See also

References
  1. "Ethiopia: The Order of the Holy Trinity". medals.org.uk. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  2. "Orders, Decorations and Medals of Ethiopia Ribbon Chart". medals.org.uk. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  3. "Order of the Holy Trinity, Knight". omsa.org. The Orders and Medals Society of America. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  4. "Religious, Traditional & Ceremonial". The Crown Council of Ethiopia. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  5. "Ethiopia, Imperial Order of the Holy Trinity, Grand Cross breast star". london-medals.co.uk. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  6. "Order of the Holy Trinity, grand cross". omsa.org. The Orders and Medals Society of America. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
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