List of royal consorts of Ethiopia

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.

Axumite period (c. 100 – c. 960)

See also: List of kings of Axum

See also: List of legendary monarchs of Ethiopia

Name	Spouse	Notes
Sofya	Ella Amida (r. early 320s to late 340s)	Mother of Ezana and ruled as regent during his minority. The official chronicle of the Ethiopian monarchy from 1922 lists Sofya as a reigning monarch in her own right named "Ahywa Sofya", who ruled from 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.^[2]
Lab		According to legend, Lab was a pagan woman from a neighbouring district to Axum.^[2] She was murdered along with her husband by Shahel, brother of Admas.^[2] According to the official chronicle of the Ethiopian monarchy, 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 official chronicle of the Ethiopian monarchy, this took place in 780 (c. 787 on the Gregorian calendar).

Zagwe dynasty (c. 960 or 1137 – 1270)

The following table is likely incomplete.

Name	Spouse	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]

Solomonic dynasty

Pre-Gondarine period (1270 – 1682)

The following table is likely incomplete.

Name	Spouse	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^[9]		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.^[11]
Romna Wark^[12]	Baeda Maryam I (r. 1468–1478)	Mother of two sons, Eskender and 'Enkua 'Esra'el.^[13] She ruled as regent during the reign of her son Eskender.^[12]
Eresh-Gazet^[14]		Mother of Theodore.^[14]
Kalyupe^[14]		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^[16]		Mother of Sarsa Dengel.^[16] Outlived her husband.^[16]
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.^[16] Died in 1661.^[16]

Gondarine period (1682 – 1769)

The following table is likely 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

Era of the Princes (1769 – 1855)

The following table is likely 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^[nb 1]	1858	Yohannes III

Modern Ethiopia (1855 – 1975)

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^[nb 2] 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^[nb 3]	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^[nb 4] Husband's accession	Not crowned	12 March 1975^[nb 5] Monarchy abolished	13 March 2009	Amha Selassie

See also

• List of emperors of Ethiopia
• List of legendary monarchs of Ethiopia

Notes

1. Became Empress again during the brief second and third reigns of her husband in 1845 and 1850–1851 respectively.
2. Retained the title of "Empress" during the reign of her brother Yohannes IV (r. 1871-1889) as he was a widower throughout his reign.
3. Her husband was never crowned.
4. Assumed the title of "Empress-in-exile" on 8 April 1989 when her husband assumed the title of "Emperor-in-exile".
5. Retained the title of "Empress-in-exile" until her husband's death on 17 January 1997.

References

1. Rey, C. F. (1927). In the Country of the Blue Nile. London: Camelot Press. p. 270.
2. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 259.
3. Selassie, Sergew Hable (1972). "The Problem of Gudit". Journal of Ethiopian Studies. 10 (1): 115. JSTOR 41965849.
4. Taddesse Tamrat. "The Legacy of Aksum and Adafa" in Church and State in Ethiopia. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972, pp. 53–64.
5. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. pp. 218–219.
6. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 177.
7. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 290.
8. Taddesse Tamrat, Church and State in Ethiopia (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972), pp. 117f.
9. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 301.
10. Danver, Steven L (2015). Native Peoples of the World: An Encyclopedia of Groups, Cultures and Contemporary Issues. Routledge. pp. 15–16. ISBN 9781317464006.
11. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 307.
12. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 320.
13. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 317.
14. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 1). London: Methuen & Co. p. 319.
15. James Bruce, Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile (1805 edition), vol. 3, p. 148
16. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 2). London: Methuen & Co. p. 384.
17. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 2). London: Methuen & Co. p. 406.
18. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 2). London: Methuen & Co. p. 411.
19. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume 2). London: Methuen & Co. p. 415.
20. Budge, E. A. Wallis (1928). A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia (Volume II). London: Methuen & Co. p. 459.
21. Haile Selassie, My Life and Ethiopia's Progress (Chicago: Frontline Distribution International, 1999), pp. 41f.