15 መስከረም 2019/26 September 26
His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, has expressed his sincere thanks to the City of Turin, Italy, for the naming of a garden in the city in honor of his aunt, the late Princess Romanework Haile-Selassie. The Princess Romanework Haile-Selassie Garden is located at the junction of Via Uffreduzzi and Via Arduino in Turin. The garden was renamed in her honour on the 86th anniversary of her death in Turin on October 14th.
Princess Romanework Haile-Selassie was Emperor Haile Selassie’s eldest child by his first marriage to Woizero Woinitu Amede. She remained behind in Ethiopia alongside her husband Dejazmatch Beyene Merid and her four sons when the rest of the Imperial family went into exile in 1936 during Fascist Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia. Her husband was a leader of the resistance, captured by Fascist forces in February 1937 and summarily executed. Princess Romanework was captured and imprisoned along with her three surviving sons. Her eldest son, Lij Gideon Merid had died before the Princess was captured. Princess Romanework and her three surviving children, Merid, Samson and Getachew Beyene, were among the Ethiopian royalty and nobility who were taken to Italy and kept in captivity there. Initially imprisoned with the other Ethiopian nobles on Asinara Island, Princess Romanework was moved to the Ospedale Maggiore in Turin under the care of the Consolata Mission due to her poor health. Princess Romanework died on October 14, 1940, leaving her three sons as orphans. Her son Lij Getachew Beyene died four years later in February 1944. Both are buried in Turin. Princess Romanework’s surviving children, Dejazmatch Merid Beyene and Lij Samson Beyene returned to Ethiopia after Italy was liberated from fascism.
Prince Ermias and the Crown Council express their sincere gratitude to the City of Turin, and particularly to the City Council Toponymy Commission for this gesture of reconciliation which serves to strengthen the ties of friendship between the people of Ethiopia and Italy.
May the soul of Princess Romanework Haile-Selassie rest in paradise among the blessed.
