Emperor of Ethiopia 12 September 1974 –12 March 1975.∼Amha Selassie, GCMG, GCVO, GBE was the last Emperor of Ethiopia. First proclaimed Emperor during the unsuccessful coup attempt by the Imperial Guards against his father Haile Selassie I in December 1960, he initially went along with this proclamation under duress. The coup collapsed within days and the Emperor Haile Selassie was restored. Amha Selassie was again proclaimed on the deposition of his father by the Derg on 12 September 1974, but he never accepted this proclamation as legitimate, and in any case this brief reign was ended with the abolition of the Ethiopian monarchy in March 1975. He was again proclaimed in exile on 8 April 1989. This time he sanctioned the proclamation and accepted its legitimacy.
Born as Asfaw Wossen Taffari, in the walled city of Harrar, to Dejazmach Tafari Makonnen, then the governor of Harrar and future Emperor of Ethiopia, and his wife Menen Asfaw, on 27 July 1916. After his accession his full reign name was His Imperial Majesty Emperor Amha Selassie I, Elect of God, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah and King of Kings of Ethiopia.

Amha Selassie died after long illnesses in the US state of Virginia at age 80 on 17 February 1997. He had never completely recovered from the massive stroke he experienced in 1973. His body was flown back to Ethiopia and buried in the Imperial family vaults at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa in a huge ceremonial funeral presided over by Patriarch Abune Paulos.


Amha Selassie was awarded numerous honours, including:
Grand Collar and Chain of the Order of Solomon (1930)
Cordon Orders of the Order of the Seal of Solomon, Order of Holy Trinity, Order of Menelik II, and Order of the Star of Ethiopia
Distinguished Military Medal of Haile Selassie, Military Medal of Merit of St George (United Kingdom)
Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim (Sweden; 15 November 1954)
Order of the Elephant (Denmark; 15 January 1970)
Golden Chains of the Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland; 30 October 1930), Order of Mohammed Ali (1932) and Order of the Nile (Egypt)
Legion of Honour (France; 2 January 1932)
Black Star of Benin (France; 30 October 1930)
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy; 1932)
Order of Pius IX (Vatican; 1932)
Order of Vasa with collar (Sweden; 9 January 1935)
Order of the Lion (Netherlands; 7 November 1953)
Order of St Olav (Norway; 1956)
Order of the Southern Cross (Brazil; 4 July 1958)
Order of Leopold (Belgium; military division)
Order of the Redeemer (Greece; 1959)
Order of the Star (Jordan)
Steaua României (Romania)
Order of the White Elephant and Order of the Crown of Thailand (Thailand)
Order of Merit (Federal Republic of Germany)
Order of the Chrysanthemum and Order of the Rising Sun (Japan)
Order of the Cedars (Lebanon)
[edit]Honorary military ranks
Amha Selassie held the following military ranks:[2]
Field Marshal, Imperial Ethiopian Army
Admiral of the Fleet, Imperial Ethiopian Navy
Marshal of the Imperial Ethiopian Air Force