.svg) Royal Coat of Arms | |
| Abbreviation | Crown Council |
|---|---|
| Founded at |  Ethiopian Empire |
| Type | Community organization Cultural center |
| Legal status | Constitutional Body FormerGovernment-in-exile ofEthiopia andEritrea |
| Location | |
Region |  Ethiopia –Ethiopian Community and Diaspora Eritrea –Eritrean Community and Diaspora Habesha Community |
| Zera Yacob Amha Selassie | |
President | PrinceErmias Sahle Selassie |
| Website | Official website |
TheCrown Council of Ethiopia is acommunity organization andcultural center with the mission of preserving the culture(s) of the formerEthiopian Empire, as well as promoting development and humanitarian efforts. Today, the Crown Council has abandoned its former mission of being aGovernment-in-exile, redefining its role as ahumanitarian andcultural preservation organization representingEthiopians,Eritreans, and theirdiaspora. It is headquartered in theWashington, D.C. Metropolitan Area in theUnited States, where a large concentration ofEthiopian Americans andEritrean Americans are located.
It originated as aconstitutional body within theEthiopian Empire, which were appointed by and advised the reigningEmperor of Ethiopia (Ge'ez: ንጉሠ ነገሥት,Nəgusä Nägäst); on occasion, its members acted on behalf of the Crown. After the deposition of the monarchy, the Crown Council of Ethiopia acted as theGovernment-in-exile of theEthiopian Empire once claiming to be the legitimate government ofEthiopia andEritrea. On 28 July 2004, the Crown Council abandoned its Government-in-exile status, relinquishing its claim of legitimate governance to the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The CommunistDerg deposed the last Emperor,Haile Selassie I on 12 September 1974, and dissolved the council. Most members of the council were imprisoned and executed, including its president, PrinceAsrate Medhin Kassa. The Derg announced that the monarchy had been abolished early in the following year. However, in 1993, a new Crown Council — which included several descendants of the late Haile Selassie I — asserted that the title of Emperor of Ethiopia was still in existence, and the Crown Council would act in its interests. Its justification was that the abolition of the monarchy by the Derg was extra-constitutional and carried out illegally.
The FederalConstitution of 1995 confirmed the status of the country as a republic, but Ethiopian royalists continue to operate the Crown Council. The Ethiopian government has however continued to accord members of the Imperial family their princely titles as a matter of courtesy. On 16 March 2005, PrinceErmias Sahle Selassie was reaffirmed by his second cousinPrince Zera Yacob as the President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia. Prince Zera Yacob is considered to be theCrown Prince of Ethiopia.[1] On July 28, 2004, the Crown Council redefined its role by redirecting its mission from the political realm to a mission of cultural preservation, development and humanitarian efforts in Ethiopia.
| Portrait | President (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Emperor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | PrinceKassa Haile Darge (1881–1956) | 13 July 1941 | 16 November 1956 | Haile Selassie I |
| Vacant 1956–1971[2] | ||||
.jpg) | PrinceAsrate Kassa (1922–1974) | July 1971 | 12 September 1974 | |
.JPG) | PrinceErmias Sahle Selassie (1960–) | 15 July 1993 | PrinceAmha Selassie Zera Yacob Amha Selassie | |
 | This article about government in Ethiopia is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | This article aboutgovernment inEritrea is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | ThisEthiopian history–related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
