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{{short description|Eldest child of Emperor Haile Selassie (1912–2003)}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Tenagnework Selassie
| image        = Princess tenagnework.jpg
| full name    = Fikirte Mariam
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1912|1|12|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Harar]], [[Ethiopian Empire]]
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|2003|4|6|1912|1|12|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Addis Ababa]], [[Ethiopia]]
| father       = [[Haile Selassie]]
| mother       = [[Menen Asfaw]]
| spouse       = ''Ras'' [[Desta Damtew]]<br>''Ras'' [[Andargachew Messai]]
| issue        = ''Lij'' Amha Desta<br>[[Iskinder Desta|Rear Admiral Iskinder Desta]]<br>[[Aida Desta|Princess Aida Desta]]<br>[[Seble Desta|Princess Seble Desta]]<br>[[Sophia Desta|Princess Sophia Desta]]<br>[[Hirut Desta|Princess Hirut Desta]]<br>''Emebet'' Tsige Mariam Abebe<br>''Emebet'' Mentewab Andargatchew
| place of burial = [[Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa)|Holy Trinity Cathedral]]
| religion     = [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo]]
| dynasty      = [[Solomonic dynasty|House of Solomon]] <small> (Shewan Branch)</small>
}}

'''Princess Tenagnework Haile Selassie''' ([[baptismal name]]: Fikirte Mariam; 12 January 1912 &ndash; 6 April 2003) was the eldest child of Emperor [[Haile Selassie]] and Empress [[Menen Asfaw]].

==Early life==
Born in the city of [[Harar]], Princess Tenagnework received her title upon her father's succession to the imperial throne in November 1930. Princess Tenagnework was first married to ''Ras'' [[Desta Damtew]], a member of the prominent [[aristocracy|aristocratic]] Addisge clan. ''Ras'' Desta and Princess Tenagnework were the parents of two sons, Amha and [[Iskinder Desta]] (later Rear Admiral), and four daughters, Princesses [[Aida Desta]], [[Seble Desta]], [[Sophia Desta]] and [[Hirut Desta]]. ''Ras'' Desta Damtew was appointed Governor-General, first of [[Kaffa Province, Ethiopia|Kaffa]] and [[Limmu-Ennarea|Limu]], and then of [[Sidamo Province|Sidamo]].

In 1935, following the invasion of Ethiopia by [[Kingdom of Italy|Italy]], the imperial family was forced to flee into exile at [[Fairfield House, Bath]] in [[England]]. However, ''Ras'' Desta remained behind to command the imperial forces fighting in the south of the country. ''Ras'' Desta was captured and summarily executed by the [[Italian fascism|fascist]] forces. While in exile, Princess Tenagnework gave birth to ''Emebet'' Tsige Mariam (Mary) during a brief union with ''Ato'' Abebe Retta, who later served in ambassadorial and other roles in the post-war imperial government, and would eventually become president of the Imperial Senate after their separation.

==Government career==
In 1941, with British assistance, Emperor Haile Selassie was restored to his throne, and Princess Tenagnework and her children returned to Ethiopia. Unfortunately, her elder son, Amha Desta, died shortly before the return.  Princess Tenagnework would eventually marry Betwoded (later Ras) Andargachew Messai, who had formerly served as "Afe-Mesfin" and representative for the underage Prince Makonnen in his Duchy of Harar. They were married at the Miskea Hazunan Medhane Alem Church ("Church of the Savior of the World, Consoler of the Bereaved") in September 1944. Bitwoded Andargachew was then appointed Governor-General of [[Begemder]] and [[Semien Province|Semien]] provinces, and the couple were based in [[Gondar]].

The couple then served as the Vice-Roy and Vice-Rein of [[Eritrea]], representing the Emperor there when the former Italian colony was federated to Ethiopia in 1951. [[Andargachew Messai|Bitwoded Andargachew]] served in many other governmental posts. He was elevated to the title of Ras, served as Minister of the Interior, and was made an Imperial Senator and a Crown Councilor. Princess Tenagnework and Ras Andargatchew Messai were the parents of a daughter, Mentewab Andargachew, who died in childhood.  After the death of her mother, Empress Menen Asfaw in 1961, Princess Tenagnework became the most visible and foremost woman at the imperial court and played an ever-increasing advisory role to the monarch.

The princess was often described as the child most like her father in temperament and character. A strong personality credited with mostly [[conservatism|conservative]] views, she was widely regarded as a guardian of the institution of the [[monarchy]].  She was perceived as a leader of the traditionalist element within the nobility, which was seen as opposing [[constitutional]] and [[land tenure]] reform.

==Imprisonment==
Princess Tenagnework and the rest of the imperial family were arrested on 11 September 1974, the day before Emperor [[Haile Selassie]] was formally deposed by the [[Derg]]. After a brief time when the family were kept under house arrest at the home of the late Duke of Harar, they were then moved to the [[Akaki Prison]], also known as "Alem Bekagn" which translates to "I have had enough of this world".  Princess Tenagnework and the other royal women were kept in the separate women's section of the prison, and Princess Tenagnework received the distinction of being listed as "Prisoner #1" in all Ethiopia. On 23 November 1974, the Derg executed sixty-one former officials of the imperial government without trial. Among the many relatives, friends and associates of the Princess to die at this time, was her remaining son, Rear Admiral [[Iskinder Desta|Iskinder (Alexander) Desta]].

The Princess was allowed a final visit with her father only a few days before his death in August 1975. That same year her daughter Tsige Mariam Abebe Retta had committed suicide by slitting her throat. Her niece Princess Ijigayehu Asfaw Wossen also died in that year under imprisonment due to untreated illness. Princess Tenagnework’s husband, Ras Andargachew Messai (1902-1981), who had been outside Ethiopia when the monarchy fell, died after a long illness in [[London]] a few years later (16 August 1981).

After an imprisonment of fifteen years, the women of the imperial family were freed in 1989. A year later, the imprisoned males of the family were also released. After living in [[Addis Ababa]] quietly for a little over a year, Princess Tenagnework and a few of the other members of the imperial family were allowed to depart into exile. Princess Tenagnework travelled to [[London]] and from there joined her only surviving brother, Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen in the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC.

==Later life==
Princess Tenagnework settled in her second exile, in the [[Virginia]] suburbs of [[Washington D.C.]], to be near her only surviving sibling, [[Amha Selassie]] (Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen). The imperial family was living mostly in the Washington area and in London at the time. The death of her brother in 1997 deeply affected her, and her health began to decline. She returned permanently to Ethiopia in 1999. On 5 November 2000, Emperor Haile Selassie was reburied at [[Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa)|Holy Trinity Cathedral]] with much pomp conducted by the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church]]. The Princess attended the burial, which was refused state funeral status by the [[Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front|EPRDF]] government.

[[File:Waizero Manen.jpg|thumb|Empress [[Menen Asfaw]] seated in the centre and Standing women from left to right are [[Princess Tsehai]], Princess Tenagnework, and [[Princess Zenebework]], her daughters, and on the far right is Princess [[Wolete Israel Seyoum]], her daughter-in-law.]]
Princess Tenagnework died in [[Addis Ababa]] on 6 April 2003. On 13 April, a funeral mass for the Princess was led by [[Abune Paulos]], Patriarch of the Ethiopian Church, and was attended by most of the other hierarchs of the Ethiopian Church. Much of the old Ethiopian nobility and many members of the general public attended. She was buried in the crypt of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa near the graves of her family.

== Patronages ==
* President of the Ethiopian Women's Charitable Works Association (1941–1974). 
* Patron of the Sebeta School and Center for the Blind.

==Honours==
===National dynastic honours===
{{Flagicon|Ethiopia|1897}} [[Solomonic dynasty|House of Solomon]]: 
* [[File:ETH Order of Solomon BAR.png|60px]] - Knight Grand Collar of the [[Order of Solomon|Imperial Order of Solomon]]<ref>{{cite web |title=The Crown Council of Ethiopia |url=http://www.ethiopiancrown.org/decorations.htm#TheOrderofSolomon |website=www.ethiopiancrown.org |access-date=2016-03-20 |archive-date=2012-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226054014/http://www.ethiopiancrown.org/decorations.htm#TheOrderofSolomon |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[File:ETH Order of Solomon BAR.png|60px]] - Knight Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Seal of Solomon|Imperial Order of the Seal of Solomon]]<ref>{{cite web |title=The Crown Council of Ethiopia |url=http://www.ethiopiancrown.org/decorations.htm#TheOrderofSolomon |website=www.ethiopiancrown.org |access-date=2016-03-20 |archive-date=2012-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226054014/http://www.ethiopiancrown.org/decorations.htm#TheOrderofSolomon |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[File:Order of The Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia) ribbon.gif|60px]] - Knight Grand Cordon with Collar of the [[Order of the Queen of Sheba|Imperial Order of the Queen of Sheba]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kibriye |first1=Solomon |title=State Visit of the King and Queen of the Belgians to Ethiopia, His Majesty King Baudouin with Her Imperial Highness Princess Tenagnework Haile Selassie |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/7132788@N07/6299069181 |website=flickr |date=31 October 2011}}</ref>
*  [[File:RefugeePatriotMedalEtiopia.png|60px]] - Recipient of the Refugees Medal<ref>{{cite web |title=The Crown Council of Ethiopia |url=http://www.ethiopiancrown.org/decorations.htm |website=www.ethiopiancrown.org |access-date=2016-03-20 |archive-date=2012-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226054014/http://www.ethiopiancrown.org/decorations.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[File:Imperial Coronation Medal 1953.gif|60px]] - Recipient of the Emperor Haile Selassie I Coronation Medal<ref>{{cite web |title=Medal-Medaille, Orders, decorations and medals of the world for sale online |url=http://www.medal-medaille.com/sold/product_info.php?cPath=54&products_id=403&osCsid=jioj40me2fibhb5epkajuf2bv2 |website=www.medal-medaille.com}}</ref>
* [[File:Jubilee Medal 1955 (Ethiopia).gif|60px]] - Recipient of the Silver Anniversary Medal of Emperor Haile Selassie I and Empress Menen<ref>{{cite web |title=The Crown Council of Ethiopia |url=http://www.ethiopiancrown.org/decorations.htm#CelebrationMedal |website=www.ethiopiancrown.org |access-date=2016-03-20 |archive-date=2012-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226054014/http://www.ethiopiancrown.org/decorations.htm#CelebrationMedal |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[File:25th Anniversary Medal of the Victory of 1941 (Ethiopia, 1966).gif|60px]] - Recipient of the Emperor Haile Selassie I Ruby Jubilee and 75th Birthday Medal{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

===Foreign honours===
* {{flag|Belgium}}: Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Crown (Belgium)|Order of the Crown]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Photo of queen Fabiola with empress Medferiashwork Abebe |url=http://d2ydh70d4b5xgv.cloudfront.net/images/8/0/vintage-photo-of-queen-fabiola-with-empress-medferiashwork-abebe-she-was-a-nie-482d0961c0438a11a3defe40f07240dd.jpg |website=d2ydh70d4b5xgv.cloudfront.net}}</ref>
* {{flag|Denmark}}: Grand Cross of the [[Order of Dannebrog]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Dejene|first=Solomon Kibriye|title=In Memory of Her Imperial Highness, Princess Tenagnework of Ethiopia|url=https://www.angelfire.com/ny/ethiocrown/Princess.html|work=Imperial Ethiopia website|access-date=2010-09-19}}</ref>
* {{flag|France}}: Grand Cross of the [[Legion of Honour|Order of the Legion of Honour]]{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
* {{flagicon|Kingdom of Greece}} [[Greek Royal Family]]: Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of Beneficence (Greece)|Royal Order of Beneficence]]
* {{flag|Japan}}: Dame Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Precious Crown]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kibriye |first1=Solomon |title=State Visit of the Emperor of Ethiopia to Japan |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/7132788@N07/6305385013/ |website=flickr |date=2 November 2011}}</ref>
* {{flag|Netherlands}}: Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Emperor and his family to Netherlands |url=https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6232/6299943054_1a2ea9e3a4_b.jpg |website=c1.staticflickr.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Paard En Wagen |url=http://www.anp-archief.nl/page/84342/nl |website=Anp Archief |language=nl}}</ref>
* {{flag|Norway}}: Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of St. Olav|Order of Saint Olav]]
* {{flag|Spain}}: Sash of the [[Order of Isabella the Catholic]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-1972-31307|title=Decreto 1140/1972, de 4 de mayo, por el que se concede la Banda de la Orden de Isabel la Católica a Su Alteza Imperial la Princesa Tenagne Worq Haile Selassie de Etiopía.|date=4 May 1972|access-date=10 November 2025|lang=es}}</ref>
* {{flag|United Kingdom}}: Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of the British Empire]]

==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|1= 1. '''Princess Tenagnework of Ethiopia'''
|2= 2. [[Haile Selassie|''Emperor'' Haile Selassie I]]
|3= 3. [[Menen Asfaw|''Itege'' Menen Asfaw]]
|4= 4. [[Makonnen Wolde Mikael|''Ras'' Mäkonnen Wäldä-Mika'él]]
|5= 5. [[Yeshimebet Ali|''Woizero'' Yeshimebet Ali]]
|6= 6. ''Dejazmach'' Asfaw Mikael, ''Jantirar'' of [[Ambassel]]
|7= 7. ''Woizero'' Sehin Mikael
|8= 8. ''Dejazmach'' Wolde Mikael Wolde Malakot
|9= 9. ''Immabet'' Tenagnework Sahle Selassie 
|10= 10. ''Dejazmach'' Ali Abba Jifar
|11= 11. ''Immabet-Hoy'' Walatta Ihata Giyorgis Yimeru
|14= 14. [[Mikael of Wollo|''Negus'' Mikael]]
|15= 15.  ''Woizero'' Fantaye
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110522225537/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1128552.ece Obituary of Princess Tenagnework] at ''[[The Times]]''
*[https://www.angelfire.com/ny/ethiocrown/Princess.html Biography of Princess Tenagnework, with photographs]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tenagnework}}
[[Category:1912 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Ethiopian people]]
[[Category:21st-century Ethiopian people]]
[[Category:20th-century Ethiopian women]]
[[Category:21st-century Ethiopian women]]
[[Category:People from Harari Region]]
[[Category:Ethiopian princesses]]
[[Category:Burials at Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa)]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Beneficence (Greece)]]
[[Category:Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Order of the Precious Crown members]]
[[Category:Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown]]
[[Category:Honorary Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Children of Haile Selassie]]
[[Category:Daughters of emperors]]
[[Category:Recipients of orders, decorations, and medals of Ethiopia]]