The royal consorts of Ethiopia were spouses of the monarchs of Ethiopia. In ancient times the territory of modern day Ethiopia included the Kingdom of Axum. In medieval times, a kingdom ruled by the Zagwe dynasty developed but was later deposed by the Solomonic dynasty, who would establish the Ethiopian Empire. The following list includes known consorts from the Axumite period to the abolition of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1975.
See also: List of kings of Axum.
See also: List of legendary monarchs of Ethiopia.
| width=15% | Name | Spouse | width=60% | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sofya | Ella Amida (r. early 320s to late 340s) | Mother of Ezana and ruled as regent during his minority. The 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia includes Sofya as a reigning monarch in her own right under the name "Ahywa Sofya", with regnal dates of 299 to 306 (c. 306 - 313 on the Gregorian calendar).[1] | ||
| Admas | Ella Gabaz (r. mid-6th century) | According to legend, this queen was a daughter of a king named Ilassahl, who was murdered by Ella Gabaz (or Elagabaz).[2] Her brother, Suhal or Shahel, later murdered Elagabaz and his pagan wife Lab and proclaimed himself king. | ||
| Lab | According to legend, Lab was a pagan woman from a neighbouring district to Axum. She was murdered along with her husband by Shahel, brother of Admas. According to the 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia, this took place in 398 (c. 405 on the Gregorian Calendar). | |||
| Makia Maryam | Ayzur (r. 8th century) | A manuscript from Gojjam stated that she was the wife of a king named Ayzur, who only reigned for half a day due to being suffocated by a crowd on the day he was crowned.[3] According to the 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia, this took place in 780 (c. 787 on the Gregorian calendar). |
The following table is incomplete.
| width=15% | Name | Spouse | width=60% | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masoba Warq | Mara Takla Haymanot | According to one tradition, this woman was a daughter of Dil Na'od (the last king of Axum) who was overthrown by Mara Takla Haymanot in the 10th century.[4] However, many historians doubt the dating of the Zagwe dynasty beginning this early and other traditions do not mention Masoba Warq. A manuscript from Dabra Libanos listed 44 kings who ruled at Shewa following the deposition of Dil Na'od by Gudit, with Masoba Warq being named.[5] This list suggests that Masoba Warq may have been a Queen Regnant of Shewa. | ||
| Masqal Kibra | Lalibela | One tradition claims that she persuaded her husband to give the throne to Na'akueto La'ab, but convinced him to take the throne back 18 months later when La'ab's soldiers appropriated a poor farmer's only cow for the king's dinner table. The church of Biete Abba Libanos is said to have been built by this queen in memory of her husband.[6] |
The following table is incomplete.
| width=15% | Name | Picture | Spouse | width=60% | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Mogassa[7] | Amda Seyon I (r. 1314 - 1344) | Formally a concubine of Wedem Arad. | |||
| 3 wives (possibly including Lazzab Warqa) | Newaya Krestos (r. 1344 - 1372) | Newaya Krestos married these three women after he became king.[8] | |||
| Lazzab Warqa | Mother of Dawit I. | ||||
| Seyon Mangasha[9] | Dawit I (r. 1382 - 1413) | Mother of Tewodros I. | |||
| Igzi Kebra | Mother of Zara Yaqob.[10] | ||||
| Eleni | Zara Yaqob (r. 1434 - 1468) | Born in the Hadiya Sultanate. Following the Sultanate's invasion by Zara Yaqob, she was captured, baptised and married to the Ethiopian Emperor. She was given the title of "Queen Mother" by her step-son Baeda Maryam I following his accession to the throne in 1468. Ruled as Queen Regent from 1507 to 1516 during the minority of Dawit II. Died in April 1522. | |||
| Seyon Morgasa | Mother of Baeda Maryam I. Died in 1462. | ||||
| Gera Ba'altihat (or Fere Maryam)[11] | Her children were named Berhan Zamada, Madhen Zamada, Sabala Maryam and Del Debaba. | ||||
| Romna Wark | Baeda Maryam I (r. 1468 - 1478) | Mother of two sons, Eskender and 'Enkua 'Esra'el.[12] She ruled as regent during the reign of her son Eskender.[13] | |||
| Eresh-Gazet[14] | Mother of Theodore. | ||||
| Kalyupe | Mother of Na'od.[15] | ||||
| Na'od Mogesa | Na'od (r. 1494 - 1508) | Mother of Dawit II. | |||
| Seble Wongel | Dawit II (r. 1508 - 1540) | Married in either 1512 or 1513. Mother of Gelawdewos and Menas. Died on 5 December 1567. | |||
| Adimas Moas | Menas (r. 1559 - 1563) | Daughter of Robel, governor of Bora and Selawe. Married Menas before he became Emperor. | |||
| Admas Mogasa | Mother of Sarsa Dengel. Outlived her husband. | ||||
| Maryam Sena | Sarsa Dengel (r. 1563 - 1597) | Influenced her husband to choose Yaqob instead of Za Dengel as his successor. | |||
| Nazarena | Yaqob (r. 1597 - 1603 and 1604 - 1607) | A foreigner. Had 3 sons. | |||
| Woizero Wangelawit | Za Dengel (r. 1603 - 1604) | Daughter of Susenyos I. | |||
| Seltan Mogasa | Susenyos I (r. 1606 - 1632) | Also known as Wald Sa'ala.[16] Mother of Fasilides and six other children. Died in 1661. | |||
The following table is incomplete.
| Picture | Name | Birth | Marriage | Became Consort | Coronation | Ceased to Be Consort | Death | Spouse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabla Wangel[17] | Unknown | 19 July 1682 Husband's death | January 1689[18] | Yohannes I | ||||
| Walatta Seyon | Unknown | September 1683 | Unknown | May 1693[19] | Iyasu I | |||
| First wife of Bakaffa | Unknown | Unknown Died on the day of her coronation | Bakaffa | |||||
| Mentewab | c. 1706 | 6 September 1722 | Unknown | 19 September 1730 Husband's death | 27 June 1773 | |||
| Woman from Amhara[20] | Unknown | Iyasu II | ||||||
| Welete Bersabe | Unknown | |||||||
The following table is incomplete.
| Picture | Name | Birth | Marriage | Became Consort | Coronation | Ceased to Be Consort | Death | Spouse | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waletta Selassie | Unknown | Yohannes II | |||||||
| Walatta Iyasus | Unknown | 1801 | Unknown | 12 June 1818 Husband's death | Unknown | Egwale Seyon | |||
| Menen Liben Amede | Unknown | Before 1840 | 30 August 1840 Husband's accession | Unknown | October 1841 Husband's deposition | 1858 | Yohannes III | ||
| Picture | Name | Birth | Marriage | Became Consort | Coronation | Ceased to Be Consort | Death | Spouse | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tewabech Ali | 1831 | 1848 | 11 February 1855 Husband's accession | Unknown | 19 August 1858 | Tewodros II | |||
| Tiruwork Wube | Unknown | February 1860 | Unknown | 13 April 1868 Husband's death | 16 May 1868 | ||||
| Dinqinesh Mercha | 1815 | Before 1868 | 11 June 1868 Husband's accession | Unknown | 11 July 1871 Husband's deposition | August 1907 | Tekle Giyorgis II | ||
| Taytu Betul | 1851 | 1882 | 10 March 1889 Husband's accession | 4 November 1889 | 12 December 1913 Husband's death | 11 February 1918 | Menelik II | ||
| Sabla Wangel Hailu | 1895 or 1896 | 1909 or 1910 | 12 December 1913 Husband's accession | Not crowned | 27 September 1916 Husband's deposition | 1969 | Lij Iyasu Iyasu V | ||
| Gugsa Welle | 1875 | 1900 | 27 September 1916 Wife's accession | Not crowned | 21 March 1930 Died at the Battle of Anchem | Zewditu | |||
| Menen Asfaw | 25 March 1889 | 1909[21] | 2 April 1930 Husband's accession | 12 September 1974 Husband's deposition | 15 February 1962 | Haile Selassie | |||
| Medferiashwork Abebe | 1922 | 1945 | 12 September 1974 Husband's accession | Not crowned | 12 March 1975 Monarchy abolished | 13 March 2009 | Amha Selassie | ||
Victor Emmanuel III, king of Italy, was declared Emperor of Ethiopia in 1936 after the Italian victory in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. Italy was later defeated in the East African campaign and lost control of its Ethiopian territories in April 1941, but Victor Emmanuel did not formally renounce his title until November 1943.