Sophia Desta

Princess Sophia Desta (25 January 1934 – 11 November 2021^[1]) was the youngest daughter of Ras Desta Damtew and Princess Tenagnework Haile Selassie, and granddaughter of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.^{[citation needed]} She was educated at Clarendon School for Girls in the United Kingdom together with her three sisters, Aida, Hirut Desta (Ruth) and Sebel.^[2] Princess Sophia was imprisoned, mistreated and humiliated in the Alem Bekagn Kerchele prison, Addis Ababa together with her sisters, other princesses of the Imperial Family, from 1974 until 1988.^[3]

Princess Sophia Desta
Princess of Ethiopia
Born	(1934-01-25)25 January 1934 Ethiopian Empire
Died	(2021-11-11)11 November 2021 (age 87) Greater London
Spouse	Captain Dereje Haile Mariam
Issue	Emebet Hannah Mariam Meherete Selassie Dereje
Names Immabet Sophia
House	House of Solomon
Father	Ras Desta Damtew
Mother	Princess Tenagnework
Religion	Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo

She was the widow of Captain Dereje Haile Mariam, graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the U.K.^[4] She married him at Addis Ababa, on 31 January 1959 (in a double wedding with her sister Princess Seble-Wengel Desta). Captain Dereje Haile Mariam was born in 1936 and he was killed at Addis Ababa, at the Genuete Luel Palace while defending the Emperor against a palace coup d'état carried out by General Mengistu Newaye, head of the Imperial bodyguard on 16 December 1960. They had an only daughter:

• Emebet Hannah Mariam Meherete Sellasie Dereje (born in February 1961, Addis Ababa) and educated at Clarendon School for Girls. She married Lij Aklog Asfaw, son of Woizero Daremelesh and Colonel Asfaw Habte Mariam ' They had issue, one son:
  • Lij Desta Aklog born on October 4, 1994.

Title, style and honours

Title

• 1 January 1934 – 11 November 2021: Her Royal Highness Princess Sophia Desta of Ethiopia

Honours

National dynastic honours

• House of Solomon: Knight Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of the Queen of Sheba^{[citation needed]}
• House of Solomon: Recipient of the Refugee Medal Archived 2012-12-26 at the Wayback Machine
• House of Solomon: Recipient of the Silver Anniversary Medal of Emperor Haile Selassie I and Empress Menen Archived 2012-12-26 at the Wayback Machine
• House of Solomon: Recipient of the Emperor Haile Selassie I Ruby Jubilee and 75th Birthday Medal

Foreign honours

•  Cambodia: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Queen Kossomak
•  Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic^[5]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Sophia Desta
8. Balambaras Ketena Abebe 4. Fitawrari Damtew Ketena 9. Woizero - - 2. Ras Desta Damtew 10. - - 5. - 11. Woizero - - 1. Immabet Sophia Desta 12. Ras Makonnen Woldemikael 6. Haile Selassie I 13. Woizero Yeshimebet Ali 3. Le'ult Tenagnework Haile Selassie 14. Dejazmach Asfaw Mikael 7. Itege Menen Asfaw 15. Woizero Sehin Mikael

References

1. "Her Imperial Highness Princess Sophia Desta | the Crown Council of Ethiopia". 17 November 2021.
2. "Ethiopian princess tells Llandudno pupils about prison ordeal". North Wales Live. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
3. "Ethiopian princess tells Llandudno pupils about prison ordeal". Daily Post, North Wales Live. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
4. "Emperor Haile Selassie I, Part 3". Institute for African Alternatives. Archived from the original on November 20, 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
5. Boletín Oficial del Estado