Prince Alemayehu was taken to England after British forces defeated his father and looted his imperial capital. Ethiopia has been asking for his remains to be returned for 150 years.
Buckingham Palace has refused a repeated request to repatriate the remains of Prince Dejatch Alemayehu of Abyssinia — which includes modern-day Ethiopia — who was taken from his home at age 6 in 1868 and died just over a decade later in England.
But the palace said this week that this wasn't possible as it would disturb other human remains buried nearby. The Ethiopian Embassy in London is welcome to keep visiting the grave to pay respects, the statement added — but historians said the palace should do more to take responsibility for its past.
Alemayehu was the son of the emperor of Abyssinia, Tewodros II, a Coptic Christian ruler who had taken missionaries and British government officials captive after Britain refused to assist him in wars with mostly Muslim neighboring countries. It took 15 elephants and around 200 mules to carry all the wealth the British looted from Maqdala. Alemayehu's mother, Empress Tiruwork Wube, intended to travel to England with her son but died on the journey.
"He was, he was kidnapped," he said."You have a minor coming to another country as an orphan after his mother dies and then he himself dies at 18 — something should feel wrong about that. He's looted as well, like all the other curios and treasures that were taken."
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