It has been 50 years since an emperor, described by many as the “Father of Africa”, was overthrown by security forces known as the Derg in a “creeping coup”.
His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I was hailed around the world as a hero against fascist forces. But unbeknown to many is that the popular sovereign spent many years campaigning against Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from his West Country home in Bath, between 1936 to 1940.
University of the West of England professor Shawn Naphtali Sobers has been sharing the story of the emperor’s exile in England in a new programme for the BBC World Service.
The Ethiopian leader arrived in London’s Paddington Station to huge crowds. However, his passionate speeches against Mussolini, who had invaded Emperor Selassie’s home country, was an “embarrassment” to the UK government, which were seen as “keeping Mussolini cosy”.
Emperor Selassie was ordered to “go out to the provinces”, so he soon settled in Bath.
All of his family and staff moved to Fairfield House and quickly became the talk of the city.
Despite how “noticeable” they were, the emperor became “engrained” in the community, said prof Sobers.
“He was really a people person,” he said, explaining Emperor Selassie once refused to skip the queue for Weston-super-Mare’s Tropicana resort.
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