The Lost Prince: The Suspenseful Battle to Repatriate the Remains of Ethiopian Royalty

Buckingham Palace has refused to repatriate the remains of Prince Dejatch Alemayehu, the Ethiopian prince who was taken by British troops in 1868 when he was just six years old. After being orphaned, he was brought up by a British military officer who sent him to boarding schools and introduced him to high society, including the British royal family. When he died at 18, he had no family in Britain, so Queen Victoria arranged for his burial at Windsor Castle.

Over the years, family members and Ethiopian officials have requested several times that his body be returned to Ethiopia, but Buckingham Palace has always refused. The palace has now officially denied the most recent request, stating that it is unlikely that the remains can be exhumed without disturbing the resting place of a substantial number of others in the vicinity.

Many Ethiopians are devastated by the refusal, calling it "unforgivable." Alemayehu's story feels especially personal to many advocates, as he was a child stuck in a foreign land and was never allowed to go home. He made it clear before his death that he wanted to go back.

Calls for Alemayehu's return have remained quietly persistent over the years. In 2007, Ethiopian President Girma Wolde-Giorgis implored the British crown to return the body, but to no avail. The latest refusal comes as repatriation efforts intensify around the world, with manycountries successfully petitioning for the return of cultural artifacts. However, the British Museum's decision to retain the controversial Parthenon marbles continues to make headlines.

Alemayehu's story is a reminder of the Battle of Magdala in 1868 when British troops took Alemayehu and his mother, who died on the journey, after his father took several Europeans hostage. Accounts differ as to why British forces took Alemayehu and his mother, with some suggesting that they were trying to prevent the two from being killed by Tewodros II's enemies, while others claim that the prince was kidnapped.

Alemayehu's story is also a reminder of the looting of human remains, as he was taken from his home and buried in a foreign land. Many advocates feel that his remains should be returned to Ethiopia, as it was Alemayehu's wish to go back before he died. With repatriation efforts intensifying around the world, the refusal to return Alemayehu's remains feels like a missed opportunity to right a historical wrong.