Princess Ijigayehu Amha Selassie

Princess (Leult) Ijigayehu Amha Selassie (known during her life as Her Imperial Highness Princess Ijigayehu Asfaw Wossen; 1936-1976) was the eldest child of Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen of Ethiopia by his first wife, Princess Wolete Israel Seyoum and was the granddaughter to Emperor Haile Selassie.

Princess Ijigayehu Amha Selassie
Princess of Ethiopia
Born	September 4, 1936 Dessie
Died	January 23, 1976 (aged 39) Akaki Prison, Addis Ababa
Spouse	Dejazmatch Fikre-Selassie Hapte Mariam
Issue	Lij Samson Fikre Selassie Woizero Rahel Fikre Selassie Woizero Meheret Fikre Selassie Woizero Aster Fikre Selassie Leul Bekere Fikre Selassie Lij Yishaq Fikre Selassie
House	Solomonic dynasty
Father	Amha Selassie
Mother	Wolete Israel Seyoum
Religion	Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo

Lineage and Marriage

Through her mother's family she was a great-great granddaughter of Emperor Yohannes IV. Princess Ijigayehu was married to Dejazmach Fikre Selassie Hapte Mariam,[1] the heir to the old Welega Kingdom of Leqa Naqamte, and brother to Woizero Atsede Habte- Mariam (wife of General Mulugeta Bulli) and Princess Mahisente Habte Mariam (wife of Prince Sahle Selassie). Dejazmach Fikre Selassie and Princess Ijigayehu were the parents of six children (all created Princes and Princesses by their grandfather Emperor Amha Selassie while in exile):

• Lij Samson Fikre Selassie (born 10 October 1954).
• Woizero Rahel Fikre Selassie (born 19 December 1957).
• Woizero Meheret Fikre Selassie (born 19 December 1959).
• Woizero Aster Fikre Selassie (born 30 April 1960).
• Leul Bekere Fikre Selassie (born 1962).
• Lij Yishaq Fikre Selassie (born 1964).

Princess Ijigayehu notably accompanied her grandfather Emperor Haile Selassie on his state visit to Italy and also on his state visits to South Korea, Australia, and Malaysia.

The Derg Uprising

Princess Ijigayehu was imprisoned with the rest of the Imperial family on September 11, 1974, the day before Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by the Derg. She died in early 1976 after medical neglect while still in prison.[2] She was buried at the Ketchene Medhan Alem Church in Addis Ababa by her children and her mother who were under surveillance but not imprisoned. Early the following year, all her children, along with other children of the Imperial family, escaped from Ethiopia. Her husband remained imprisoned for 8 years and died in August 1996.

Honours

National honours

• Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Queen of Sheba
• Refugee Medal (1944)
• Jubilee Medal (1955)
• Emperor Haile Selassie I Jubilee Medal (1966)

Foreign honours

• Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Beneficence (Kingdom of Greece, 04/1959)
• Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Queen Kossomak (Kingdom of Cambodia, 04/05/1968)
• Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italian Republic, 06/11/1970)

Ancestry

Ancestors of Princess Ijigayehu Amha Selassie

16. Dejazmach Wolde Mikael Gudessa 8. Ras Mäkonnen Wäldä-Mika'él Guddisa 17. Immabet Tenagnework Sahle Selassie 4. Emperor Haile Selassie I 18. Dejazmach Ali Abba Jifar of Woreilu 9. Woizero Yeshimebet Ali Abba Jifar 19. Immabet-Hoy Walatta Ihata Giyorgis Yimeru 2. Amha Selassie, Crown Prince of Ethiopia 10. Dejazmach Asfaw Mikael, Jantirar of Ambassel 5. Itege Menen Asfaw 22. Negus Mikael of Zion 11. Woizero Sehin Mikael 23. Woizero Fantaye 1. Princess Ijigayehu Selassie of Ethiopia 24. Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia 12. Ras Mangasha Yohannes, Prince of Tigray 25. Woizero Walatta Takla Haymanot 6. Leul Ras Seyoum Mengesha 26. Ras Wale Betul Abba Tattan, Viceroy of Tigray 13. Woizero Kafay Wale 3. Leult (Princess) Wolete Israel Seyoum 7. Woizero Debretu

References

1. "Modern Ethiopian Monarchs Part Eight". www.harep.org. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
2. "Amha Selassie I - Emperor-in-Exile". www.angelfire.com. Retrieved 10 September 2012.