Today in history: - The coronation of King Haile Selassie by Empress Menen (The Coronation Day)

In honor of the coronation of Emperor Haile Sellassie I and Empress Menen of November 2, 1930, the following excerpt from the book "The Biography of Empress Menen, Mother of the Ethiopian Nation" is presented here.

preparations for the inauguration of King Haile Sellassie I and Empress Menen Asfaw were very detailed. According to the June 1931 National Geographic Gazette, several streets in the capital were paved for the occasion, electric lights were erected, and eucalyptus fences were erected to hide circular “tukul” huts. Arches were erected along the road that the Emperor and the Empress were to carry, and flags and flags were erected for the occasion. Police and Imperial Bodyguard were replaced with new khaki uniforms. A triangular monument was erected to commemorate Emperor Haile Sellassie I, whose translation means the Trinity. The inauguration would provide an opportunity for many Menen and Tafari relatives to travel to Addis Ababa. This would be a time of great activity for the approaching Empress, as she made sure that her guests were easily handled. There were several photographs of close and deep family photographed this time by Armenian court photographers, Haigaz and Tony Boyadjians. To accommodate 700 guests, a large hall was built on the west side of St. Paul's Church. Inside, two thrones were placed one-third of the way into the hall and at a certain distance. The throne of his majesty was adorned with red and gold, and his majesty was adorned with blue and gold. For seven days and nights before the inauguration ceremony, forty-nine bishops and priests in groups of seven sang hymns of David in seven centers near St. Paul's Church. On the 22nd of Tikimt, 1923 (November 1, 1930), the day before his coronation, Ras Tafari, in a long speech, paid tribute to the late king Menelik II. In a circle in front of St. George's Church, a visiting Duke of Gloucester, England, unveiled a statue of Emperor Menelik II in gold, riding a horse. On the same day, at midnight, the future King, Empress, family members and nobles attended a church service in St. Petersburg. George's for worship prayers. The next morning, Tikimt 23, 1923 (November 2, 1930), at 7:00 am foreign visitors arrived, many accompanied by Ethiopian officials, and seated in the church.

The coronation of King Haile Sellassie I
At 7:30 a.m. on Tikimt 23, 1923 (November 2, 1930), their Leaders, dressed in white silk dress, appeared from the church behind the incense burners. As soon as the emperor sat on his throne in the temporary hall, silence was broken by St. Abuna Kyrilos, who declared, "Ye princes and ministers, ye princes and captains, ye Ethiopians, and ye doctors, and chief priests, ye professors, and priests, see our Emperor Haile Sellassie I, of the line of Menelik I, born and Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, an uninterrupted dynasty since then.for King Sehale Sellassie and for our times.

The emperor then made his solemn pledge to uphold the Orthodox religion, to uphold and enforce the laws of the land for the betterment of the Ethiopian people, to maintain the integrity of Ethiopia, and to establish a school for the spiritual and physical well-being of his wives. subjects. At a ceremony that lasted five hours, Emperor Haile Sellassie I was adorned with a purple robe, and she was given a gold sword covered with precious stones and a royal scepter made of gold and ivory. In addition, the world's gold globe, diamond-encrusted ring, and two traditional gold-plated spears were placed on His Majesty. For each of these presentations, the oil was poured on the king's head, the forehead, and the shoulders. A magnificent crown, made of gold and covered with diamonds and emeralds, was then placed over his head and Abuna Kyrilos declared, “That God may make this crown a crown of holiness and glory. So that by the grace and blessing we have given you, you may have unshakable faith and a pure heart, that you may inherit the eternal crown. Be that as it may. "

The son of the new fourteen-year-old King Asfa Wossen then bowed before his father, promising to support him, as he became the Crown Prince. The King's second son, six-year-old Prince Mekonnen, then paid tribute to his father. The national anthem was played while 101 tanks roared and thousands of faithful people around the church cheered.
Ordination of Empress Menen

After the King's ceremony, the Queen came in with her attendants to take her throne. Perhaps his attendants were his daughters, seventeen-year-old Tenagne Work and thirteen-year-old Zenebework. The following lesson from the Psalms of David (Psalm 45: 9-11) was made as a prayer. “Kings' daughters were among your honorable women; Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; Forget also thy people, and thy father's house; then the king will desire your beauty, for he is your Lord; and you shall worship him. ”
The Empress was presented with a ring covered with diamonds, and then a red and gold crown was placed over it. The new emperor received the Empress crown from the Archbishop and said the following words about his Queen, "As I, by the will of God, received this crown from Your Holiness, I ask the Queen to receive this crown and partake in honor. With me. For therefore, I ask that Your Holiness be crowned over Empress Menen. ”

Abuna Kyrilos took the crown from the Emperor and placed it on the head of the Empress as he prayed for the crown to be of knowledge and wisdom, compassion and kindness. According to this prayer, Empress Menen used her crown to serve the people and to help the poor. After receiving her crown, the Queen bowed down to the King and returned to sit on his throne. The national anthem was played again, the cannons blew and the crowd of women outside the church were overjoyed to compliment Empress Menen.
The newly crowned emperor and empress then made a grand tour around St. George's Church, accompanied by bishops and priests, their children, celebrities, aides and others all carrying palm branches and singing, "Blessed be the King of Israel. After this, their deacons took off their crowns and royal attire to attend Mass inside St. George's Church in their traditional white silk robes. They later donned their royal robes and crowns once again to present themselves to a crowd of people waiting outside before entering the couch pulled by six gulf horses, which took them to the Imperial Palace for a state dinner.
On that day, silver medals featuring the image of the new King and Empress were presented to their distinguished guests. Attendees were the Duke of Gloucester as an envoy of the King of England, the General of Udine representing Italy, Marshal Franchet d'Esperey of France, and delegates from Belgium, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Turkey. and the United States. The European dignitaries and attendants who attended the ceremony expressed their appreciation for the beauty of Empress Menen. It is interesting to note that the 39-year-old Empress was over five months pregnant with her last child when the long-running events took place ...