British queen refuses to return Ethiopian prince’s remains which located in England

News24xx.com - Queen Elizabeth II has caused diplomatic conflict between Britain and Ethiopia. This is because she refuses to repatriate the remains of Ethiopian prince who was buried in catacombs next to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Prince Alemayehu was brought to England when he was young after his father, Emperor Tewodros II, committed suicide as British forces stormed his palace in 1868 in northern Ethiopia. He then reportedly became a ward of Queen Victoria, who said to have adored him. Unfortunately, he did not live for long and died at the age of 18 and was buried at Windsor Castle. His story has inspired poems, books and even radio plays.

140 years after his death, the story of Prince Alemayehu is still very important to Ethiopian people. The country has been asking the return of their prince’s remains for 12 years now but their request has constantly been dismissed.

Ethiopia’s ambassador in London, Fesseha Shawel Gebre made an emotional appeal to the Queen. He asked how she would feel if one of her relatives was buried in foreign country.

“Would she happily lie in bed every day, go to sleep, having one of her Royal Family members buried somewhere, taken as prisoner of war?” he said.

News24xx.com/fik/red