Category: In The Press

THE GRANDSON of Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 when he was deposed, was in Portugal recently for a week’s visit.

His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, was here to reestablish Luso-Ethiopian ties.

During his visit he took in sites which his grandfather, Emperor Haile Selassie I, had visited on his historic visit to Portugal in August 1959. He also participated in the celebrations at Ourém Castle, near Fatima, marking the opening of the 600th anniversary of the Royal House of Braganza.

Prince Ermias, who today lives in the United States, is the son of the youngest son of Emperor Haile Selassie, who died in 1975 at the age of 83. He is the President of the Selassie Foundation, created in memory of his grandfather, which provides aid to impoverished Ethiopians.

His Imperial Highness spent his first day here in Santarém. After being welcomed by the Civil Governor on behalf of the Portuguese Government, he was presented with a medal, the equivalent of the “keys to the city.”

Later he visited the Church of Our Lady of Grace, where he was received by the Mayor who showed him the tomb of Santarém’s most famous citizen, Pedro Álvares Cabral, the explorer who discovered Brazil in 1500.

A tour which included the Cabaças Medieval watchtower, the S. Joâo de Alporão Church, Marvilla Church and an archaeological exhibit, was followed by a visit to the Shrine of the Most Holy Miracle of Santarém where Mass was celebrated for the repose of the Soul of Emperor Haile Selassie, who had been killed by Communist revolutionaries on that same day in 1975.

The following day, the Prince was in Sintra at the Sousa Pedro Industrial Park.

In the afternoon, Prince Ermias was received at Sintra Royal Palace by the Duke of Braganza D. Duarte [The Official Website of His Royal Highness Dom Duarte Pio de Bragança], and they went to Cabo de Roca – “where Europe ends and the ocean begins.” The Royal visitor then went on to Lisbon where he, together with D. Filipe Folque de Mendonça, Count of Rio Grande and descendant of King John IV, the first king of the Braganza Royal House, paid homage to the Kings and Queens of the Braganza dynasty at the Saint Vincent Monastery’s Royal Pantheon.

During a visit to Lisbon Cathedral, Prince Ermias prayed in the crypt and received the blessing from the Franciscans.

The second day ended with a gala banquet at Valbom Palace, hosted by the Duke of Braganza and attended by many members of Portugal’s aristocratic families.

During the event the Prince was made Honorary Patron of the new Prester John Luso-Ethiopian Friendship Association – the Portuguese counterpart of the Haile Selassie Foundation – which will help raise much-needed funds for Ethiopia, which is facing its worst famine of the past 30 years.

The following day, to Royal visitor and his delegation of five spent time at Ourém Castle, the birthplace of the Royal House of Braganza, for the start of its 600th anniversary jubilee year.

He was received at City Hail by Deputy Mayor Victor Frazão, the President of the Royal Association of Leiria-Fátima, and Government Minister Teresa Costa Macedo was also present.

The celebrations were initiated with the unveiling of a bronze bust honouring the firstborn of the Royal House of Braganza, D. Afonso, IV Count of Ourém. This was a gift of the American friends of Ethiopia and was accompanied by a special dedication by the Prince to the Duke of Braganza and the Royal Family on this jubilee occasion.

The Mass, celebrated by D. Avilio Ribas, Bishop of São Tomé e Principe, was attended by more than 100 people. During it, Prince Ermias was invested as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Brotherhood of the Most Holy Sacrament and received from the Bishop the Grand Cross of Saint Thomas the Apostle, Sao Tome’s highest decoration.

A guided tour of the castle included an exhibit commemorating the visit of Emperor Haile Selassie to Portugal in 1959. The day ended with a Royal Banquet at the Oureana Foundation’s medieval restaurant.

During the final days of his visit, the Prince visited Fátima, where he attended mass and at the Capelinah made an act consecrating Ethiopia and the Imperial Crown, descended from King Solomon, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

At the Pope Paul VI Pastoral Center, Prince Ermias was received by Bishop Serafim Silva of the Leira-Fátima Diocese, whom he decorated with the Order of the Holy Trinity and presented to Our Lady of Fátima the Collar of the Seal of Solomon, Ethiopia’s highest Order.

The last days of the Prince’s visit to Portugal were spent at the Vagalha Monastery, Alcobaca Monastery, and Nazaré’s famous Royal Shrine of Our Lady of Nazareth.

At each of those sites where he was received officially by the Mayors, the Prince was surprised and delighted to find people who had toured with his grandfather at the same sites, 44 years previously.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

On Saturday, September 13^th, San Pedro hosted a most important guest when His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle Haile Selassie paid a visit to Ambergris Caye. The Prince is the grandson of the late Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, the spiritual leader of the Rastafarian, who was murdered in 1974 by communist rebels. Prince Ermias received a royal welcome from an island delegation comprised of Area Representative Manuel Heredia Jr., San Pedro Mayoress Elsa Paz and Town Councilors, The San Pedro Sun, as well as the newly crowned Miss San Pedro, Tatiana Rivero.

After a brief tour of town, the SP delegates “rolled out the red carpet” for the Ethiopian prince, stopping first at the renowned Ramon’s Village Resort for cocktails at the Purple Parrot Bar. Following friendly conversation, the group traveled to the south end of the island, where they enjoyed a delicious lunch at picturesque Victoria House Resort. 

During a conversation, Prince Ermias made special mention of how impressed he was with Governor General, Sir Colville Young, who remembered their first meeting. Ever the storyteller, the Governor General recalled a story told to him by the young prince some years ago. The tale involved a man of considerable wealth and status who was invited to a dinner with the “Heads of State” from several countries. Upon his arrival, the man, dressed in a fine business suit, was scolded for wearing common clothing to such a formal affair. He was asked to leave and to please return properly attired. After some time, the man returned to the party dressed in clothing “fit for a king.” Later that evening, as each course of the dinner was served, the same man, instead of eating, was observed stuffing pieces of food into every one of his pockets. Outraged, the same person who had scolded the man earlier questioned why he would embarrass his host with such odd behavior. The man turned to him and calmly replied, that it was quite obvious that it was not he who was invited to eat, but his suit.

Accompanying Prince Ermias to San Pedro was Ms. Rosalie Staines, the producer and host of “Oapn Paki,” a popular radio talk show in Belize. Ms. Staines arranged Prince Ermias’ visit through her acquaintance with Dr. Richard Stevens, a former professor of African History at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. who is now the Prince’s personal advisor.

Before departing the island, Prince Ermias and his hosts were treated to a boat tour of North Ambergris Caye and a snorkel trip to Hol Chan Marine Reserve, courtesy of Ramon’s Village Dive Shop. The Prince was clearly impressed by the day’s activities, as he expressed a desire “to spend a lot more time in ëLa Isla Bonita’ when I return to Belize.” In addition, he stated how pleased he was to see a picture of his grandfather, Haile Selassie, displayed on the front of a San Pedro business.

Born in 1960, His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie left Ethiopia to further his education in the United Kingdom and the United States. At the time of his grandfather’s murder, King Hussein of Jordan assumed financial responsibility for the teen prince’s education. Although he has been exiled from Ethiopia for nearly 30 years, Prince Ermias travels at the invitation of foreign governments to attend speaking engagements. He promotes spirituality and international Caribbean-African relations through these activities.

Now, an international marketing consultant, Prince Ermias is also an owner of WORTH, Bahamas, a company which designs and produces decorative medals used to honor international dignitaries. After being informed of this, Lion Eileen Jamison, on behalf of the San Pedro Lion’s Club, presented the Prince with a SP Lions Club award-winning fellowship pin.

Prince Ermias is also a Director for the Haile Selassie Foundation for Ethiopian Children, which supports his grandfather’s beliefs in technological education and self-sustainability. This charitable organization recently sponsored 22 technical scholarships for Ethiopian men and women from a variety of ethnic backgrounds to study in Pennsylvania, USA.

Prince Ermias’ trip to Belize was made possible through the kind support of the City of Belize, the Belize Tourism Board, the Princess Hotel and Casino, Mayan Island Air, Belize Offshore Center, Alliance Bank, A&R Center, Capital Life, the San Pedro Town Council, the International Free Zone, Novelo’s Bus Service, and International Promotion of Trade and Investment.